Operatives of the Nigerian Police in Abuja have apprehended a suspected kidnapper involved in the kidnapping and murder of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar and three other people.
The 28-year-old suspect, Bello Mohammed, was apprehended in a Kaduna hotel raid on January 20 with N2.25 million suspected to be proceeds from the ransom money, a statement issued by the police on Sunday revealed.
According to Persecondnews, bandits kidnapped about 19 people from the Sagwari Estate Layout in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory’s Dutsen-Alhaji neighborhood.
The kidnappers initially demanded N60 million for their release, but increased the ransom to N700 million after crowdfunding from netizens.
The crowdfunding followed the killing of four of the hostages by the bandits, including Nabeeha, a 400-level student of biological science at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; 13-year-old Folashade Ariyo; and two others, over a delay in ransom payment.
Nabeeha was abducted on January 2, 2024, alongside five of her siblings and her father, Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, who was released later to go and mobilize funds for the release of his children.
While under questioning by the police, Mohammed admitted to being a member of the gang that committed the kidnapping in Bwari.
“The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, on 20th January 2024, have arrested one Bello Mohammed, 28, of Zamfara State, in Kaduna.
“The Divisional Police Officer, Tafa Division, acting on intelligence, raided one hotel in Tafa Area, Kaduna, where he arrested Bello with the sum of #2.25m (two million, two hundred and fifty million naira) only, suspected to be the proceeds of ransoms collected from kidnapped victims within the area,” the statement said.
He further admitted that the gang killed some of their kidnapped victims, including Nabeeha, in a camp in Kaduna State on January 13, 2024.
According to the police, Mohammed offered a N1 million bribe to the DPO leading the operation, SP Idris Ibrahim, but SP Ibrahim rejected the inducement and arrested the suspect.
“The suspect, during interrogation, confessed to being part of the gang that kidnapped the family members of one Barrister Ariyo in Bwari, FCT, on 2nd January 2024, and killed some kidnapped victims, including Nabeeha, f, daughter of the legal practitioner, on 13th January 2024, in a kidnappers camp in Kaduna State.
“The suspect, in a dramatic situation, offered #1,000,000 (one million naira only) to induce the DPO, who rejected the offer and carried out his duty diligently.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has ordered that the suspect, who also confessed to the involvement of the already five (5) neutralised bandits in Kaduna by the IRT, headed by one Mai Gemu (aka Godara), whose deadly camp has also been destroyed, be handed over to the DFI-IRT in Abuja for discreet investigations into the matter and the arrest of all other culprits responsible for the dastardly act.
“The suspect is currently helping the police in their investigations,” the statement said.
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