Category: Crime Diary

The alleged mastermind of the 10-man kidnapping gang responsible for the recent abduction of the Sierra Leone’s Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Major General Alfred Claude-Nelson, has said that the gang’s members embarked on kidnapping business in order to get easy cash to solve pressing individual problems.

Following the directive of the Acting Inspector-General of Police, IRT operatives on July 3 stormed Kaduna in a manhunt for the suspected kidnappers.

After seven days of intensive search, the team was able to round up all the suspected members of the gang, including the alleged gang leader, Alhaji Rabiu Yusuf, a 45-year-old native of Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State; 27-year-old Garba Abubakar, a native of Danja Local Government Area, Katsina State; 20-year-old Yusuf Adam, an indigene of Kudan LGA, Kaduna State who functioned as the gang’s driver; Hussaini Musa (25), a native of Kwanar Dangora in Kano State and Shuaibu Idris, also a 35-year-old native of Kwanar Dangora in Kano State.

Others are Usman Bello (20), from Kafur LGA Katsina State; Muhammadu Abubakar (30) from Jaji, Kaduna State; Sulaiman Abubakar aka Dan Gaye (25); Musa Iliyasu (20) from Sabon Gayan in Kaduna State and Musa Ali (45), a security guard in Paki Area Development Council, Kano State, who was accused of harbouring the suspects in a government building for two days,.

The items the police operatives recovered were said to include three AK47 rifles with serial numbers LU3855, 406724 and AC03302; three loaded AK47 magazines containing a total of 90 rounds of ammunition and two sets of Nigeria Army camouflage uniforms were recovered from their armoury. A 28-year-old lady named Fatima Umar and identified as a girlfriend to one of the suspects, was also arrested and was said to be helping in the Investigation.

The suspects have confessed to the kidnapping of Sierra Leone’s Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria; the Executive Director of Dangote Group, Engr. Mansur Ahmed; the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau and several other kidnappings along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

One of the suspects, Balarabe Mohammadu confessed to selling the Sierra Leone diplomat’s car in Niger Republic.

“My name is Balarabe Mohammedu. I am 20 years old and I transported the Sierra Leonean diplomat’s car to Niger Republic where I sold it immediately after the diplomat was abducted,” Mohammedu said.

He added that like other members of his gang, he was formerly into cattle rustling before he graduated into kidnapping. He said his main job in the gang was to drive any vehicle snatched from a victim to Niger Republic.

According to him, “we planned the operation that led to the kidnap of the envoy on June 30, 2016. We struck that night and luckily for us, the Ambassador (envoy) drove into our trap. The moment his car was snatched, I drove it away.

“I took it to my crosser, Abubakar, in Kasitina State, and I allowed him to go alone to Niger Republic with the vehicle. I got my share of the ransom, but I was waiting for Abubakar to bring in the proceeds from the vehicle before I was arrested.”

Another suspect, Gaba Abubakar, narrated how the gang planned and executed the kidnapping of the Deputy High Commissioner a few days to Sallah. He added that the sum of N1.5 million was paid as ransom before the envoy, Claud-Nlelson, regained freedom.

He said: “Some days before the last Sallah celebration I together with six of my friends decided to stage a kidnapping operation on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway to raise money for the Sallah celebration.

“We had no. particular target in mind as we blocked the Dutse axis of the expressway. Some of us were in army uniform when we accosted the Ambassador and his driver around 8 pm of that day and they thought we were genuine soldiers until we abducted him.

“We didn’t know who he was until it was announced in the news that an ambassador had been kidnapped, and we demanded N30 million as ransom.

“He spent four days in our custody but was released after the sum of N1.5 million was paid. It was one Umaru who collected the ransom, but he declared only N1 million and I got N200, 000 as my share.

“That was the third operation I would do with the gang.

“Before I joined the kidnapping gang, I was into cattle rustling. I stopped when some of my colleagues were killed while attempting to steal some cattle in Kaduna State.

“I spent my own share of the loot during the Sallah. I also invited my girlfriend from Zaria and we spent part of the money together. In fact, she was with me at Paki Local Government Secretariat in Kaduna State when I was arrested.”

For Aliyu Tahir, the gang left him with no option but to quickly look for the ransom to rescue his friend from the den of the kidnappers. He recalled that the suspects called him in the morning of June 16, 2016, with the news of the abduction of his friend, Sule Umar, who they threatened to kill if he didn’t comply with their instruction.

“I begged them not to kill him, but the one on the phone rained abuses on me, I thanked him and he switched off the phone.

“After about one hour, he called again and said if I wanted my friend alive, I should bring N50 million for his bail. I told him that we could not even raise one per cent of their demand.

“I pleaded and we ended the negotiation at N500,000. I was instructed to take the money to Maraba area of Jos within 24 hours or my friend would be dead. They also instructed that I should leave the police out of it.

“After a while, I got another call from the kidnappers and I was told to go and pick my friend from Gidwa Takwas, which I did,

“But on July 13, 2016, I saw two of the kidnappers who collected the ransom from me in the newspaper. I called my friend and we both went to the Kaduna State Police Command and identified the kidnappers as those who robbed and kidnapped my friend.”

UNTIL recently, kidnapping was an alien culture in Cross River State. The state’s insulation from the vice at the height of militancy in the Niger Delta region helped it earn the status of most peaceful in the country.

Kidnapping for ransom has since gathered momentum, snowballing into a monstrous problem. Although there were pockets of incidents here and there, the vice was brought to the fore with complaints by businessmen of Igbo extraction that their members were targeted.

The businessmen complained that many of their members were abducted for huge ransom in the past one year. They kept quiet initially because they feared for the safety of the abducted and sought to have their loved ones released safely.

Many of those abducted and subsequently released suffered physical and emotional trauma. One of them, a bakery owner in Calabar, died days after he was released. Since then, cases of kidnap appeared to recur rapidly as substantiated by a string of high profile cases in the past couple of months.

For instance, five contractors with the United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) were abducted by unknown gunmen on their way to work at the cement plant in Mfamsoing. The incident occurred along the Idundun Bridge. A driver was killed in the process. The gunmen, who numbered over thirty, took off in a waiting speedboat, it was gathered. They were released for a heavy ransom, it was gathered.

Weeks ago, a Second Republic Senator in the state, Patrick Ani, was abducted at his home in Calabar. Also abducted within the period were a former Special Assistant on Labour Matters and Mr Patrick Obasse, a local government management staff in Etung. The Nation gathered that they were all released for hefty amounts of money.

Other instances abound, and the trend has become a source of worry for residents. A victim who was kidnapped in Calabar South agreed to speak under the condition of anonymity. Describing his experience as terrible, he said: “On that fateful evening, I just stopped along the road to buy something and the next thing I felt was a hand tapping my shoulder. At first, I thought it was a friend, so I dragged the hand and then I saw it was some guy with a gun.

“He told me to enter a waiting vehicle. There were about four young men inside. Initially, I resisted, so they all came down and fired shots into the air. Immediately, the street that was filled with people became deserted. I released I was the only one standing there with these unknown gunmen. They pushed me inside the vehicle, covered my head and drove me to the riverside which I believe to be in Anantigha in Calabar South. From there, they transferred me to a speedboat and took me to an unknown location.

“Where they kept me was a thatched house. I met another person they had abducted also there. They told me to contact my family members for the sum of N15 million, or else they would kill me. I begged them that I did not have that amount of money in all my life. I was thoroughly manhandled. I was fed bread and pure water while there. In fact, to cut the story short, I stayed there for a three days and had to cough up N300, 000 to regain my freedom. It is an experience I do not want to relive, please.”

Militants operating in the creeks of Calabar, Bakassi and Akbabuyo, who reportedly come into town to snatch vehicles and carry out other illegal activities, are thought to be the prime suspects.

Reacting to the development, Governor Ben Ayade said the government was not resting on its oars and would take the fight to the criminals. Speaking to reporters in Calabar, he said: “One thing I can assure every Cross Riverian is that for every incident that has occurred, the combined team has been able to trace and track the culprits. As we speak, 17 of the criminals of the last incident have been picked up and they have started confessing.

“The three kingpins that I know, we have identified their homes, we have the convenience of their armoury, we have a clear picture of their modus operandi and we are working on a massive attack. I speak as the United States (of America) would do. They let you know that they are coming for you and they will come after you. We are coming after them. We know all the militants who are now parading and taking full occupation of Bakassi. We will free the people of Bakassi.

“We want to tell you that on our honour and integrity as a state and as the government we will do all that is within our power to protect the citizens. Cross River State will remain the safest place. Our carnival will come and go the way we did last year. The town has been sectorised into smaller units for easy management. Security would be 24 hours. We have decided to rededicate ourselves with commitment to the security of lives and property of our people.

“We have focused mainly on the exit routes as well: the ingress and egress routes of Calabar. We have identified nine points of exits and entry. All of those points, the service commanders have given structural and normative frameworks to be able to put them under check. Therefore, in a matter of days and weeks to come, we are going to see a full armoury of men prepared at those checkpoints. It will come with pain. It will come with some challenges, because the stop-and-check and frisking will be on the increase, but Cross River State will be no hiding ground for any criminal.

The governor proceeded to walk the streets of Calabar in the company of service commanders in a show of force to prove to the criminal elements that they were still in charge. Since then, there has been increased security presence in Calabar, with patrol vehicles stationed at every corner. Stopping of vehicles and carrying out intensive checks have become a common sight.

With the passing of the Prohibition of Kidnapping Law, said the state Attorney General, Barrister Joe Abang, the government had shown that it would not accommodate the malaise. He said: “The governor of Cross River State has signed the law that prohibits kidnapping and hostage taking and anybody found guilty would face the consequences (death penalty). We are looking for these kidnappers who are trying to paint Cross River State and, indeed, our capital Calabar in bad light. Cross River is the bastion of tourism and a hospitality hotspot that everybody in the world comes to. We as a government would not sit down and watch them.”

In addition, the State Police Commissioner charged Calabar residents to maintain peace, be vigilant and report all suspicious characters and movement to security agents for prompt action.

Commissioner of Police, JimohOzi-Obeh, said remarkable success has been recorded in the fight to stop the criminal elements as several of them have been arrested and helping them with their investigation.

The Police Commissioner said, “In the light of the above, it will be pertinent to reassure members of the general public that the command has the capacity, capability and the wherewithal to deal with any miscreant who may dare to harass, intimidate and instill fears in the mind of Cross Riverians.”

He charged Calabar residents to maintain peace, be vigilant and to report all suspicious characters and movement to security agents for prompt action.