TheCable

The Kaduna police command says it has arrested four suspected kidnappers for their alleged involvement in the killing of Mohammed Kabiru, a six-year-old boy, after collecting N1 million ransom.

While parading the suspects on Monday, Mohammad Jalige, spokesman of the command, said Kabiru was abducted on April 24 at the Badarawa area of the state.

He said the suspects demanded N30 million for the release of the boy, but after negotiations, they agreed to collect N1 million which was delivered to them.

He added that after collecting the ransom, Mohammed Nazifi, said to be the mastermind of the kidnap and a neighbour of the victim, strangled the boy to death for fear that the child would identify him.

“We are here today, Monday, 3rd May 2021, to parade these suspects for the offence of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and culpable homicide which the command diligently investigated and unravelled the identities of the suspects involved leading to their arrest,” Jalige said.

“On 29th April, 2021, one Alhaji Kabiru Magayaki reported that his six years old son, Mohammed Kabiru, was abducted on 24th April, 2021, and the abductors demanded the sum of N30 million as ransom.

“The negotiating parties, however, agreed for the sum of N1 million which the family obliged and paid but could not secure the freedom of the victim.

“On receipt of the complaint, the commissioner of police immediately ordered for a full-scale investigation and the SIB (Special Investigations Bureau) operatives swung into action and succeeded in arresting four suspects, namely; Sani Adamu, 36yrs of No. H3 Mashi Street, Badarawa Kaduna, Umar Mainasara (32yrs) of Sheik Jaafar Street Kawo New-Extension Kaduna, Muhammadu Nazifi (25yrs) of Musa Yakubu Crescent Badarawa, Kaduna and a female, Amina Ahmed (53yrs) of No. 1221 Sharada, Kano in a carefully coordinated and intelligence-based investigative approach.”

The police spokesman said the arrest equally led to the recovery of the sum of N840,000, which he said was part of the ransom the suspects collected at a location in Zaria.

Jalige said investigation revealed that being a neighbour to the victim made it easier for Nazifi to lure the deceased by sending him on an errand to a location, where one of the suspects — Sani Adamu — was said to be already waiting to kidnap him.

He said the suspects confessed to the police and led the officers to where the decomposing body of the victim was identified and evacuated to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital for autopsy.

The police said investigation is ongoing and that all persons involved in the crime will be brought to book.

The police advised parents and guardians to be more security conscious “as criminals could be lurking around their vicinity waiting to take advantage of familiarisation to perpetrate evil”.