A 62-year-old man, Bamuwa Umaru, has been arrested by the Kano State Police Command for trying to secure the release of a suspected kidnapper, Yusuf Ibrahim.
The command’s spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna, on Tuesday, said Umaru was arrested after accepting a N1 million bribe from a policeman to release the suspect.
Haruna said the suspect confirmed during preliminary investigations that he was involved in a series of kidnappings in towns in Katsina and Zamfara states and also confessed that his syndicate group killed 10 of his victims, of which he killed only two.
“On December 16, 2022, at about 2:00 p.m., one Alhaji Bamuwa Umaru, 62, of Shika village, Sabon Gari LGA Kaduna State, approached the Head of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, State Criminal Investigation Department, Kano State Command, SP Aliyu. Mohammed and N1m offered him the amount as a bribe to secure the release of one Yusuf Ibrahim, 27, of Danjibga Village, Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State, the alleged kidnapper arrested at Rijiyar Zaki Motor Park Kano.
“Ibrahim was arrested by an Operation Restore Peace team led by the Divisional Police Officer, Kano, Rijiyar Zaki, Divisional Police Officer, CSP Usman Abdullahi after he was identified by a kidnapped driver on the Funtua-Gusau road, and collected the sum of N500,000 ransom before his release.
“During initial investigations, the suspect confessed to the crime and also admitted that he participated in a series of kidnappings in Sheme, Yankara, Faskari and Kucheri towns in Katsina and Zamfara states. He also confessed that the syndicate members killed about 10 of the kidnapped victims, and that he alone killed the victims. “, said the police spokesperson.
He added that the suspects will be brought before the court after the investigation.
Haruna said the Commissioner of Police CP Mamman Dauda appreciated the good people of Kano, other security agencies, media, vigilance groups and operatives of the Community Police in the Command for their prayers, support, encouragement and cooperation.
