Police arrest businessman who ‘planned own kidnap’

The police have arrested one Abdullahi Mohammed, a Nasarawa-based businessman, for allegedly planning his own kidnap.

Abubakar Kamal, public relations officer of the Bauchi police command, announced this while parading 86 suspects arrested for various offences across the state.

Kamal said one Tijjani Mohammed of Sabon Fegi in Lafia, Nasarawa, had on May 12, reported to the police that Mohammed, his brother, left home for business in Kano but did not return when he ought to.

He said Tijjani told the police that Abdullahi later called and informed him that he was kidnapped near Gusau in Zamfara state while on the business trip.

Kamal said Abdullahi told Tijjani that the abductors demanded a ransom of N10 million and directed the family to deliver the ransom before he would be released.

He emphasised that Tijjani said the ransom was later reduced to N1 million and the abductors directed that the money be brought to Bauchi.

Kamal said the command operatives attached to anti-kidnapping squad later arrested one Haruna Saidu of Gamawa local government area in Bauchi who had come to collect the ransom.

He said further investigation led to the discovery of the alleged abductor (Saidu), and victim (Abdullahi) at the residence of Saidu.

“Investigation revealed that Abdullahi Mohammed, a businessman, after his businesses collapsed, conspired with his friend Haruna Saidu and staged a false kidnapping in order to force his family to pay ransom,” Kamal said.

He said that the suspects would be charged to court after completion of investigation.

This is not the first time that the police would arrest someone who allegedly staged his own kidnap.

Last month Adewuyi Adegoke, a pastor at Methodist Church, Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti state, was arrested after he went into hiding and allegedly planned with one Oluwadare Sunday to demand N3 million ransom from his congregation.

His purported abductors later contacted the church members to demand the ransom, which they insisted must be paid latest by Thursday to prevent the reverend from being killed.