By Desire Emmanuel
A man who was said to have kidnapped three children between January and November and collected over N2 million as ransom from their parents before releasing them has been arrested by men of the Niger State Police Command.
The state police command announced the arrest in a statement on Monday, December 15, saying the man, Aminu Ahmed, aged 25 years, was arrested on November 27 by the Special Task Squad (STS) operatives following intelligence received over the kidnapping of the three children in Kotangora area of the state.
According to the report, the man, in the course of investigation, revealed that in January this year, he abducted a three-year-old boy around Samaru, Kontagora and travelled with him to Lagos.
He added that in the course of the journey, he contacted the father of the victim and requested for N10 million as ransom, and he later received N1.4 million through different POS points before dropping the boy at a location around a radio station in Kotangora when he came back from Lagos.
He also said he abducted another four-year-old boy in May this year within Kotangora, took him to Lagos and stayed in the city for three days. He added that he contacted the boy’s parents and requested for N10 million ransom. He later received N500,000 before dropping the boy at a location within Mashegu Local Government Area after he returned from Lagos. He thereafter informed the parents where to pick up their child.
In November, Ahmed picked a three-year-old boy in GRA, Kotangora, took him to Ilorin, Kwara State, where he stayed for three days and contacted the father. He requested for N5 million and later received N350,000. He dropped the child in Kaboji, Mashegu Local Government Area after returning from Ilorin.
He was said to have told the police operatives that he was later duped of about N1.8 million from the proceeds of the ransom during a mining investment scheme he took part in.
He was reported to have given more useful information to the police operatives and he is expected to be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation.
