Niger police arrest suspected kidnappers who abducted, raped 17-yr-old girl, demanded N1 million ransom

The long arm of the Law has caught up with two Fulani men who allegedly specialised in kidnapping their victims for ransom as well as raping their female victims in Niger State.

At about 12:30 a.m on July 7, the two suspects, Husein Isah and Adamu Shehu Shade, belonging to different Fulani herdsmen camps, allegedly invaded the camp of one Lawal Bello, also a Fulani man, at Iwa Village and kidnapped his 17-year old daughter, after subduing Bello and his family.

The suspects did not stop at that as they were alleged to have raped the girl after taking her to their criminal hideout.

Crime Reports further gathered that after the forced sexual intercourse, they made a telephone call to her father and demanded N1 million as ransom for her release.

It was further learnt that the suspects also threatened their victim’s father that they would eliminate his entire family if he failed to meet their demands on or before July 14.

A police source at the Niger State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of Niger State Police Command told Crime Reports that after receiving the call, Mr Bello contacted the anti-kidnapping team attached to Suleja Divisional Police Headquarters. With the support of some Fulani vigilance group members, the police tracked the two suspects and trailed them to their hideout where they were arrested

The suspects were said to have confessed to the crime during police investigation, just as the second suspect, Shade, told the police that the first suspect, Isah, introduced him to the crime.

In an interview with Crime Reports, the complainant, Mr Bello, said that the two hoodlums used their sticks on him and one of his sons, Abdullahi Bello, and inflicted injuries on them during the invasion of his residence.

Crime Reports also learnt that the victims had since been taken to the General Hospital, Minna, for treatment of the injuries.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident to Crime Reports on Friday.

Describing the incident as “very unfortunate”, the PPRO said that the suspects would be arraigned in court for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, rape and causing grievous harm on their victims after the conclusion of police investigation.