Police Parade 38 Kidnappers

Kidnapper admits collecting N200m ransom payments from expatriates

Nigerian Police yesterday paraded 38 kidnappers and bandits nabbed for kidnapping and armed banditry.

A suspect and member of one of the kidnap gangs, Abubakar Umar, said he collected N200 million from kidnapped expatriates within Kaduna-Kebbi axis in six months.

The police also paraded the mastermind of the kidnap of the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), Mohammed Mahmood and his daughter, along Abuja-Kaduna Road.

One of the suspects, Abubakar Umar, said the UBEC chairman paid N5 million ransom to secure his release.

Force Public Relations Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba, disclosed that the leader of the gang that kidnapped the UBEC chairman, Samaila Sule aka Shaho was killed in a gun battle with Operation Puff Adder operatives.

“Consequent to the death of the gang leader, a massive manhunt was launched to arrest his remaining gang members. Eventually, between June 2nd and July 13th 2019, four more gang members were arrested by police operatives in both Kaduna and Nasarawa states”, he said.

The suspects arrested are Abubakar Ahmadu aka Dabo, 27 year old from Zamfara State living in Rijiana village along Abuja-Kaduna expressway and second in command, who is famed for shooting and killing innocent citizens along the expressway.

Other suspects are Musa Hassan aka Anaruwa 26 years old from Kano State who supplies arms and ammunition and coordinates the evacuation and selling of rustled cows, Umar Musa 22 years from Kaduna state, a close confidant of gang leader, Shaho and Mallam Saidu Musa, 57 years from Tudun Wada, Kaduna State who lives in Rijiana village along Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

The kidnappers said their 7-man gang with five AK 47 rifles killed the driver of the UBEC chairman because his stubborness, adding that they successfully negotiated and collected the ransom which they shared before releasing the victims.

In a similar vein, Abubakar Umar aka Dogo, leader of the gang that specialised in kidnapping foreigners confessed that their spiritual leader, Malam Salisu Abubakar who had earlier been arrested by the Police was the pillar of the gang because he gave spiritual clearance before they embark on any operation.

Disclosing that the Police would not have arrested them if not for the earlier arrest of the spiritual father, he said his gang made between N20million to N25million for every foreigner they kidnap pointing out that in the last six months, they made over N200million from kidnapped expatriates.

Other members of the gang paraded we’re Saleh Idris 67 year old Fulani from Koro village, Kaduna State, Bello Abdullahi 35 years old from Kaduna state, Abdullahi Musa 40 years old from Kaduna state, Ya’u Abdullahi 45 years old from Kaduna state, Nuhu Yakubu 20 years old from Kaduna state and Ismail Yakubu 30 years old from Bassa-Iga, Plateau State.

Also paraded were Aliyu Mohammed 35, Tilde Fulani from Bauchi State, Ibrahim Yakubu 30, from Plateau State, Ibrahim Zubairu 25, from Kaduna State, Abdullahi Ahmed 32, from Kaduna State, and Hamze Jibrin Bayero from Jos North, Plateau State