The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old tea seller, Saidu Abdullahi, at Maraba-Kosso village in the Magma Local Government Area of the state for allegedly kidnapping one Martin Onah of Salka town in Magma.
It was learnt that Onah’s kidnappers, numbering four, ran into the bush when chased by a team of policemen, leaving Abdullahi behind with an injury on his head.
The gang, who abducted their victim from his drug store, were said to have been terrorising the neighbourhood for some time.
Northern City News gathered that the kidnappers covered Onah’s eyes and tied his hands while shooting sporadically to scare people away. A bullet was said to have hit Abdullahi on his head.
During interrogation, Abdullahi reportedly mentioned the names of his gang members to include one Sule, Abubakar and Mahudaji, all from kinkai village in Kebbi State.
He told our correspondent that a Fulani man, Abubakar Musa, initiated him into kidnapping so that he could cater for his family.
“My initiator and other members had already broken even in the business, they collected N600,000 ransom from the woman they abducted in Makirin in Magama town and I was given N40,000,” he said.
Abdullahi, who has two wives with five children, said, “My wives are aware that I am a kidnapper. I didn’t hide anything from them because they need the money to survive.
“The tea I am selling is not enough to maintain my two wives and five children. I had to look for alternatives way of taking care of my family.”
The suspect, however, said he did not regret his action, insisting that he engaged in the crime in order to survive the harsh economic situation in the country.
The command spokesman, Muhammad Abubakar, confirmed that the suspect and his accomplices obtained N1.5m ransom from Onah, adding that detectives were on the trail of the fleeing gang members.
He said the operatives rescued Onah and recovered an empty AK47 ammunition shell, adding that the suspect would be arraigned in court after investigation
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