Police arrest couple for staging own kidnap

A 39 year-old Mohammed Mohammed and his 31 years old wife, Sadiya Ibrahim Umar, of Limawa area of Minna have been arrested by the Niger State Police Command for conspiracy and self kidnapping.

It would be recalled that on July 15, 2021, Sadiya was reported to have been kidnapped by an unknown person(s) having boarded a tricycle at Challenge Junction, Maitumbi going to Old Airport road Minna after closing from work at Umar Bn khattab International School, Maitumbi.

The following day, the father was contacted by an unknown caller demanding N5 million ransom which was later reduced to N1 million and was dropped at a location in Rafin-yashi, Minna for the anonymous caller.

Sadiya re-surfaced on the 21st of the same month and was invited by the Police for questioning.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Wasiu Abiodun, while narrating the incident, said Sadiya confessed to having conspired with her husband ‘Mohammed’ to fake her kidnap and was taken to Nugupi village via Paiko where she was kept by her husband at his friend’s place during interrogation.

The PPRO said the husband also confessed to have collected the wife’s phone and handed it over to one Abdullahi, his friend, who negotiated and collected the ransom on his behalf.

He said the case is under investigation while effort was ongoing to arrest Abdullahi, adding that the suspects would be arraigned in court as soon as the investigation is concluded.

“This is the third of its kind in recent times where such crimes are faked,” the PPRO said.

(Daily Trust)