We kidnap to become wealthy –Suspect

One of six suspected kidnappers, Abubakar Tambaya, who was paraded by the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawan Ado, said he went into kidnapping with his gang to become wealthy.

He, however, claimed that he was co-opted by his accomplices into kidnapping.

The 29-year-old from Oro-Ago, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State indigene said he regretted his action.


The other suspects are Majuma Shehu, Mamman Lawal, Usman Umar, Babuga Umar and Abubakar Juli.

Tambaya said, “These people introduced me to it. They carried the Alhaji and took him into the bush. They said they would kill him if he did not give them money. I told them that they should not do that. We were looking for money. We wanted to be wealthy.”

The police boss said on November 7, at about 7am, the command received a report at the Ekiti Police Division that the victim, Usman Muhammadu, was missing.

He stated that the message was subsequently relayed to all police formations in the state.

He said, “While searching for the missing person, there was another report that Muhammadu was actually kidnapped by gunmen and the family had paid a ransom of N500,000 for his release.

“Immediately the information was received, detectives attached to the Ekiti division swung into action and arrested the suspects. During interrogation, they confessed to the crime and N361,150, being part of the ransom collected for the release of the victim, was recovered. The police also recovered two single-barrelled guns, seven cell phones and some charms from them.”

The CP also paraded eight other suspects, Qudus Alaya, Yusuf Olatunji, Salami Adesola, Sunday Oluwatobilola, Ridwan Musa, Sodiq Bakare, Quadri Adele and John-Paul Nditusi, for alleged criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, belonging to cults and unlawful possession of firearms.

He said one single-barrelled locally-made gun, one double-barrelled locally-made gun and five live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

Also paraded were one Emmanuel Daniel and Lucky Okwudegbo, who were said to have particpated in a robbery at Easy Kay Filling Station in the Saw-Mill area of Ilorin.

The police said four men, including Daniel and Okwudegbo, attacked and injured a security guard at the station, before stealing N35,500 and one Itel phone.

Ado also paraded one Idowu Jimoh for allegedly robbing one Mrs. Georgina Okoye of Gaa-Odota, Ilorin, of her Honda CRV.