By Olalekan Olabulo

Two suspected kidnappers, Abdurahman Lolo and Muhammed Sanni, have opened up to the police that they had attempted to kidnap and rape a trader in the Bandoko community in Kaduna State but they changed their mind by abducting her husband for a ransom payment.

The suspects were arrested by the operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by DCP Olatuniji Disu, after residents of Bandoko sent a distress call to the Operation Puff Adder.

The police said: “At about 11.30 pm on the 29th of April 2022, some bandits attacked a house in Bandoko for the purpose of kidnapping a woman and gang-rape her all night. The woman who sells ‘fura-denunu’ within the area had been monitored by the suspects before the attack.”

The police added that: “Upon breaking into the room of the woman, they found her with her husband. At this point, they changed their plan from kidnapping and rape to kidnapping for ransom. The invaders demanded the key to the motorcycle of the 35-year-old husband, Jibril Saidu.

“After collecting the key, they forced him to remove his shirt and trousers, which were used to blindfold him and tie his hands to his back. They stole his bike, put him on the bike and escaped from the village into far away Gbadoko forest.”

According to the police, “immediately they left, the mother of the husband raised alarm and the residents came out but could not chase after the invaders for the fear that the kidnappers may be armed with guns. The villagers immediately organized local vigilantes to secure the community and then sent a distress call to the IRT operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder for urgent action.”

The police also claimed that “when the police arrived, the villagers assisted in showing them directions and they chased after the kidnappers. Around 5 am on 30th of April 2022, the police officers were able to trace the invaders into their hideout at Gbadoko forest where the suspects on sighting the police officers, abandoned their victim and motorcycle and fled into the thick forest.”

The police officers continued their chase after them and were able to arrest one of the kidnappers, Abdulrahman Lolo, a 20-year-old herder and further investigations by operatives of the FIB-IRT led to the arrest of the other member of the gang, Mohammed Sanni, a 26-year-old herder. Both suspects confessed to the crime and are assisting the police with information.

According to Abdulrahman Lolo, “I and one Abubarka Baya rear cows in the same village. Abubakar asked me to follow him to a Fulani Ruga settlement in the same area. Our plan was to abduct a woman for the purpose of raping her, but it turned out to be the kidnapping of her husband.”

The suspect added that “we only made use of torchlights, cutlasses and sticks, not a gun. Others who went together with me for the operation are Sani, Abubakar, Umar and Seif. All of us are boys of Alhaji Lolo of Gadam Mallam-Mamam. The other boys I mentioned have been going out for operations before, but this is my own first time. The role I played was to mount road and pass information to other members who escaped when police chased us.”

According to the victim, Jibril, “an unidentified group of persons invaded my house, flashed torchlights in my eyes and I couldn’t see. They threatened to kill me and my family if I do not cooperate with them. They ordered me to remove my clothes, and at the same time, requested the key to my motorcycle, which I quickly surrendered to them.”

They used my clothes to blindfold my eyes and tied my two hands to the back. They led me out of the house to my bike and drove me away. I was rescued by the IRT men.”

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, while speaking on the incident said that the Inspector General of Police Usman Baba Alkali, has directed the Commander of IRT, DCP Olatunji Disu, to ensure prompt prosecution of all cases and make sure that peace return to Abuja-Kaduna highway.

Adejobi also charged members of the public to work with the police in the efforts to ensure that all parts of the country are effectively policed.

Originally published at Nigerian Tribune