Minna based couple have confessed to have faked kidnap of themselves for ransom in order to raise capital for business they intended to start.
The couple Mohammed Mohammed aged 39 and Sadiya Ibrahim 31, both of Limawa area of Minna, confessed on Saturday when being paraded by the Niger State Police Command.
They were earlier arrested by a team of detectives of the State anti kidnapping squad of Niger State Police command.
Addressing reporters at the police headquarters in Minna at the weekend, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adamu Usman disclosed that Sadiya Ibrahim was reported to have been kidnapped by unknown person after boarding a tricycle at challenge junction in Maitumbi to old airport road in Minna.
He explained that Sadiya was to have been kidnapped after closing from work at Umar Ibn Khatab International School in Maitumbi on the 16th of July, 2021.
“After the fake kidnap, her father was contacted by unknown caller who demanded for a ransom of N5 million”, which according to the Commissioner was later reduced to N1 million and the money was dropped at somewhere in Rafin-Yashi, area of Minna for the anonymous caller.
“On the 21 of July, 2021 at about 1pm, the said Sadiya re-surfaced and was invited by the police for questioning.
During interrogation, she confessed to have conspired with her husband Mohammed to fake her kidnap and she was taken to Nugupi village via Paiko where she was kept by her husband at his friend’s place.”
The Commissioner of Police who spoke through the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Wasiu Abiodun, stated that the husband equally confessed to have his wife phone and handed it over to his friend, one Abdullahi (now at large), who negotiated and collected the ransom on his behalf and whisked away with the money.
Speaking with Journalists during their parade, Mohammed Mohammed said, he was forced to organise for the kidnap of his own wife to enable him get the money from his father in-law to establish a business.
He claimed that his father-in-law who is residing in Dakhar, Dubai abandoned him and his daughter for the past two years that he has been making unfulfilled promises to raise capital to start business.
Mohammed told Journalists that he was also residing in Dubai with his father in-law while his wife was managing her father’s private school in Maitumbi, but he deported to Nigeria alleged offence he didn’t disclose.
He said his father was responsible for his action of the arranged kidnap of his wife for his refusal to fulfil his several promises of giving them capital to start business.
He said his friend whom he arranged the self kidnap, Abdullahi has escaped with the ransown place, claiming that he has bwwn duped of N350,000 by theerson.
The police spokeman toournalists that the couple will be charged to court after completion of the investigation.
