Woman kidnaps her kids, demands ransom from husband

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a woman, Mrs. Abigail Brown, for kidnapping her two children to get ransom from her husband.

Brown and her husband’s former driver, identified simply as ThankGod, were said to have kidnapped Abigail’s two children and called the husband to pay a ransom to secure their release.

Brown initially denied the allegation against her, but later said the act was not intentional.

She said that it was frustration that made her to commit the crime, adding that she had no means of survival.

She claimed that her husband had abandoned her and the two children to suffer, adding that the kidnap was the only means of making some money from her husband.

It was gathered that the suspect had abducted her two children, aged two and 10 respectively, and hid them in her sister’s place.

She was said to be awaiting the ransom from the husband before she was apprehended by the police.

She said, “I did it because of frustration. My husband abandoned me and my children.

“Since he left us and went away, I have been suffering with my children, and I know that he has money.

“I only did it to make him bring money for me to take care of the children we had together.”

It was learnt that the suspect had demanded N6m as ransom to secure the release of the two children.

She said, “I did not demand up to that amount, but I demanded money from my husband.”

ThankGod, the former driver to the woman’s husband, who accepted taking part in the act, said his former boss’ wife contacted him.

ThankGod said, “She called me to help her. She told me to take the two children to her sister’s place. That is how I got involved.

“She used me to act as the kidnapper of the two children before we were arrested. She lured me into it.”

Meanwhile, the state police command on Tuesday paraded 146 suspected criminals in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, said the suspects were arrested in separate raids by the police in different communities of the state.

Muhammad, who paraded the suspects on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, noted that the 146 persons were arrested in connection with armed robbery, kidnap and cult related activities in the state.