The operatives of Bauchi State Police Command have arrested three persons suspected to be engaged in kidnapping at Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The suspected kidnappers are a 35-year-old Haro Adamu, Aliyu Saidu, 40 and Musa Umaru, 35 years old.
The suspects were arrested in Birnin Kudu LGA of Jigawa State and Kaltunga via Plateau State through the use of modern technology by policemen.
A release on Sunday by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Ahmed Wakil said one Yahaya Adamu of Badakoshi Village, in Bauchi Local Government Area complained to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) domiciled in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Bauchi State Command that on the March 4, 2024 an anonymous individual called him on phone and introduced himself to him.
According to the police, the caller threatened him to produce the sum of five million (N5.000,000:00) or else he would mobilise his gang to kidnap either him (Yahaya) in particular, or members of his family.
A few days later, the acclaimed kidnappers sent Adamu their account details using a Point of Sale (POS) Businessman account to deposit the requested amount.
Wakil added that the suspected kidnappers emphasised that they knew all his assets and family members, and to prove it, they started mentioning their names one after the other, further threatening that if the complainant resists to deposit the demanded amount, he would be at risk.
Police said the suspects confessed to the alleged criminal act during interrogation.
The statement narrated: “According to the 1st defendant, “Haro Adamu ” stated that he was arrested in the process of collecting the ransom from the Point of Sale (POS) Businessman situated at Kurkwi village via Shandam LGA, Plateau State.
“He added that sometime in the year 2022, the defendants (Haro Adamu) criminally conspired with two others namely: Musa Umar ‘m’ and Aliyu Saidu and called one Alh. Yahaya ‘m’ of Alkaleri LGA, Bauchi State through a mobile phone threatened him and thereafter demanded and collected the sum of three hundred thousand naira (N300,000.00).
“He gave one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) to Musa Umaru as his share of the proceeds of the crime. Again, sometime in 2024, the same defendant and his gang called a man from Ogbomosho via Oyo State and threatened him afterwards demanding and collecting the sum of two hundred thousand naira (N200, 000).”
The 2nd defendant (Aliyu Saidu) disclosed that he was the one who gave out Alh. Yahaya’s phone number to his group members to threaten him to collect a huge amount of money from him.
The accused and the complainant have known each other for over 30 years during which they had developed bonds.
“Similarly, the 3rd defendant also confessed to having actively partaken in the act. In addition to that, he further revealed that he was a professional local fraudster who specialized in duping people by calling them on the phone or stopping them on the roadway and deceitfully duping travelers.
“He was sometimes arrested and sentenced to imprisonment but without serving the jail term, he bulldozed the process and was released from jail. Following his release from the correctional centre, he indulged in the act of kidnapping for ransom,” Wakil said.
The police said all the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.