How train attack suspect got hajj documents

More revelations have emerged on how a ‘wanted’ suspected bandit, Yahaya Yakubu Zango, was arrested at the Abuja hajj camp while preparing to board a flight to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj. He was alleged to be among the bandits that attacked an Abuja-bound train near Kaduna two years ago. An official at the camp, […]

More revelations have emerged on how a ‘wanted’ suspected bandit, Yahaya Yakubu Zango, was arrested at the Abuja hajj camp while preparing to board a flight to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj.

He was alleged to be among the bandits that attacked an Abuja-bound train near Kaduna two years ago.

An official at the camp, who was part of the screening exercise, spoke when Abuja Metro visited the camp on Monday.

He disclosed that the suspect allegedly used one Abubakar Umoru to process all his hajj documents after paying for the hajj on February 14, 2025, with his code GWA 158.

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The camp official, who does not want his name in print, said on Sunday at about 9:20 am after all the processes had been concluded and the suspect was fixed on the second flight for onward airlifting to the Saudi Arabia, a signal came that four intending pilgrims that are part of those in the second batch should be dropped.

He said, “Upon receiving the signal, the four intending pilgrims including the suspect, all from Gwagwalada were dropped. Nobody knew that the Department of Security Service had been trailing him.”

He disclosed that the suspect was booked for the third flight.

He said, “The wanted suspect made payment without coming to the hajj until the day the flight was to take off.

‘’On that Sunday, after the boarding pass and other processes had been concluded, the DSS operatives in five Hilux vans with tinted glasses were already inside and outside the camp.”

He said two among the DSS operatives, who were in mufti, entered the main hall where the intending pilgrims were seated, and he went straight to where the suspect was and he was asked to stand up and follow them.

“The suspect stood up and followed the DSS operatives outside the hall and they took him inside one of the vehicles and drove him down to Paiko -Kore village in Gwagwalada Area Council where he resides,” he added.

According to him, the suspect led the DSS operatives to his residence at Gengere Nomadic settlement along the neighbouring Dobi village, where two other suspects were arrested.

He said, “The man, Abubakar Umoru, who came and made hajj payment for the suspect told the agent not to tell any of the hajj officials at the camp or any other person that knows the man that it was the suspect he was paying for.”

 

Suspect has 4 wives, 2 houses in Paiko-Kore

Abuja Metro gathered that the suspect, who is married with four wives, has one of his houses at Nomadic Gengere along Dobi Road, while the second house is located at UnguwarKashew at Paikon -Kore along Ibwa Road.

Our correspondent, who first visited the suspect’s house built with a mud block on Monday, at Nomadic Gengere, about five kilometres away from Paikon -Kore village, met his two wives and family members seated under a tree at the backyard of the house.

Our reporter, who asked one of the women suspected to be his wife if the house belongs to Yahaya Yakubu Zango (the suspect), she said yes but declined to speak further.

Our reporter was at the suspect’s second house at UnguwarKashew in Paikon Kore along Ibwa Road and saw the fenced house built with cement block and aluminium zinc.

Our reporter learnt that two of the wives are staying in the house.

On arrival at the house, a child came out and told our reporter that his dad was not at home, while one of the women watched through the window.

 

What residents know about him

However, some residents of Paikon -Kore who spoke with our reporter, said the suspect always rode his bike alone and hardly interacted with his kinsmen in the area.

Most of the residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said that they had been suspecting him to be a bandit due to his extravagant life style.

A member of the vigilante in Paikon -Kore simply identified as Bamayi, said some soldiers came to arrest the suspect last year in the community but he escaped.

“I can remember on three different occasions, soldiers and some security operatives came to arrest the man but whenever they came, he would escape. The last time the soldiers came was late last year, he still escaped, which made people begin to suspect that he could be a kidnapper,” he said.

He disclosed that the suspect used to travel for weeks before returning home, adding that he also visits drinking joints to take alcohol.

He added, “Anytime you see the man on a bike, he is always alone. After one or two days, you will not see him again. After some weeks, you will see him on bike again. Sometimes, he goes to his second house at Nomadic Gengere to spend time with his family.”

Another resident of Paikon -Kore also told our reporter how the suspect invited him to wire his house in Paikon -Kore, saying he did not know that the man was a wanted suspect until he was arrested on Sunday at the hajj camp.

“Actually, I know the man, but I could not believe he was a wanted suspect until on Sunday, when some DSS operatives drove him inside their vehicle down to his house at Nomadic Gengere and picked up two other suspects there.

‘’I was even the one that wired his house in Paiko after he finished building the house because I am into wiring of houses. I was surprised when I heard that the DSS operatives had picked him.

‘’When I was doing the wiring of the house, when I entered the ceiling, I saw different kinds of charms in the ceiling and I began to wonder what he was using such charms for,” he added.

Our reporter also gathered that residents who know the suspect, were afraid of him.

It was also gathered from the DSS operatives that the suspect was among those bandits that attacked an Abuja-bound train near Kaduna two years ago.

It was also learnt that the suspect used to operate with some of his gang members along the Abuja -Kaduna highway and some villages under Kachia and Kagarko LGAs of Kaduna State.

Many herders approached to get more details on the suspect, declined to speak.