…Uncover Kidnapping, Armed Robbery Syndicate
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced the arrest of several suspects linked to a staged kidnapping plot and a separate kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate, following two intelligence-led operations by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
In the first case, police say 34-year-old Nansik Wuyep Sule was arrested over the reported kidnapping of two-year-old Rito Jesse Davou. According to investigators, Sule conspired with the child’s biological mother, Catherine Davou, to fake the abduction and demand an initial ransom of ₦7 million.
Police said the child was actually being kept at Sule’s residence, where a second, higher ransom demand of ₦15 million was later made. A second suspect, Luka Emmanuel Butdam, was also arrested for allegedly making calls to the child’s grandmother to press the ransom demand.
The toddler was eventually located and rescued. After receiving medical attention, he was reunited with his biological father.
In a separate case, operatives arrested Idris Mohammed, popularly known as “Yellow,” and Mohammed Bello Adams over the kidnapping of a commercial driver, Idris Zakari Baba, along with other alleged offences.
Police said the driver was lured on the pretext of transporting Mohammed from Abuja to Zaria, only to be intercepted by armed men, taken into the bush, and held until a ₦3 million ransom was paid. His vehicle, a 2012 Toyota Corolla, was later traced to Bauchi State and recovered as Mohammed allegedly attempted to sell it.
Further investigations reportedly linked the suspects to the earlier kidnapping of Pastor David Dahni and his driver, Abdullahi Abubakar, for whom a ₦10.5 million ransom was said to have been paid.
The police said investigations are ongoing to identify other persons who may be connected to the criminal network and to determine the full scale of the suspects’ involvement.
