Police arrest ‘kidnapper’ in Kaduna, reject ‘N1m bribe’

The Kaduna police command says its operatives have arrested one Bello Muhammad, a  suspected kidnapper, operating in the state.

In a statement on Thursday, Mansir Hassan, police spokesperson in the state, said the suspect was operating a kidnapping group and terrorising citizens in the state.

Hassan said the Muhammad, who is from Zamfara state, was arrested when operatives attached to the divisional headquarters in Tafa raided a hotel in the state.

He said othe 28-year-old suspect attempted to offer the police officers a bribe of N1 million.

He said the operatives recovered the N2,350,000 believed to be proceeds of kidnapping from the suspect.

“On the 19th January, 2024 at about 2200 hours the divisional headquarters in Tafa received credible information regarding the presence of a suspicious person in Easyway Hotel in Tafa town,” the statement reads.

“During the course of investigation the suspect admitted to being a kidnapper who operates with his gang around Kagarko forest in Kaduna.

“The aforementioned sum is his own share of a ransom collected. Moreover, a check on his mobile phone corroborated the suspect’s confession as pictures of him brandishing an AK47 rifle in a forest were retrieved.

“The said suspect Bello Muhammad thus, offered N1m  backhander to the DPO to stop him furthering the investigation which the police officer forthwith rejected.

“Investigations are still ongoing as the suspect is assisting the police with vital information.

“The commissioner of police Kaduna state command, CP  A.D Ali, while praising the Tafa division’s operatives, urged them and others not to dwindle but to increase the tempo until crime and criminality are reduced minimally.

“Equally, the CP tasked hoteliers, recreation and leisure service operators in the state to always scrutinise the identity of their customers to avoid providing criminals with safe haven.”