The Fika Division of the Yobe State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers and recovered N8 million, being part of the ransom collected by the suspects from families of their victims.
A reliable source from the Command who confirmed the arrests by operatives attached to the Police Division in Fika, said the suspects were apprehended after collecting part payment of the ransom from relatives of their victims.
“We received intelligence from a local government chairman and concerned citizens regarding a group of kidnappers planning to collect N15 million from the relatives of their victims.
“We mobilised our patrol team and some members of the local vigilante group to the location and the operation resulted in the successful arrest of the suspects,” the source who was not authorised to speak to the press told our correspondent on Thursday.
However, narrating the story, the chairman of Fika local government area, Hon Abdul Gadaka, said the incident which occurred at Gubana, Dalla-Balli Village was reported to his office by the family of the victims after the suspects collected N8 million and requested for additional N15 million ransom.
He said four, out of the six suspects who he named as Manu Alhaji Bura, Musa, Juli Gogo, and Alhaji Bura have been arrested and are currently in police custody where they are being held for further investigation.
According to him, the remaining two suspects – Mai ruwa and Mai kudi, however, managed to escape with the ransom of N8 million earlier collected from the family of their victims, as confessed by the arrested suspects during interrogation by the security personnel.
Gadaka said the incident will enable the community to respond swiftly and effectively to future occurrences of such unfortunate events while ensuring the safety and security of the community.
