3 Arrested With N6.4m Ransom Share During ‘Stop And Search’ In Kwara

The Police Command in Kwara State reported the arrest of three suspected kidnappers during a routine stop and search operation, seizing their portion of ransom from recent activities. The incident occurred along Bode Saadu Road in Malete, Moro Local Government Area, around 11:50 hours on February 20, 2024.

Besides the ransom, authorities recovered 7 assorted brands of mobile phones and 2 wristwatches from the suspects. Identified as Umar Usman, Mustapha Mohammed, and Abubakar Kugu, they failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the items found in their possession.

Commenting on the incident, the state's Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, stated that the suspects confessed to their involvement in kidnapping. Usman admitted to being part of a kidnapping gang in Yauri, Kebbi State, revealing that the money recovered was his share from a recent operation where the gang received a ransom of N10 million from a victim named Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed. Similarly, Mohammed confessed that the money in his possession was from a ransom obtained from the kidnapping of a resident of Bida, Niger State.

Olaiya assured ongoing investigations to uncover further details about the criminal gang's past activities. "Efforts are underway to retrieve firearms used during their operations and apprehend other gang members before their arraignment in court," he stated.