Teenager kidnaps 7-year-old boy, demands N3.5m ransom

By Haruna Gimba Yaya, Gombe

The Gombe State Police Command, on Thursday, said it has arrested a 19-year-old male resident of Gabukka quarters of Gombe metropolis over alleged kidnapping of a 7-year-old boy (name withheld).

Addressing newsmen at the headquarters of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), the command’s spokesperson, SP Obed Mary Malum, said the suspect, Mohammed Sani Ahmad, was arrested by the SARS operatives on September 23, three days after parents of the boy declared him missing.

She said the suspect picked the victim on Friday September 20 at a mosque in Kumbiya-Kumbiya area of the metropolis while the boy was performing ablution.

He later called his father, one Malam Abubakar and demanded N3.5 million as ransom before he release the boy.

When he realised that the ransom is not forthcoming, he called uncle of the victim, one Aminu Babayo and informed him that he saw the boy that was kidnapped at Gabukka area. The uncle asked him to bring the boy so that he will be appreciated by the family.

“However, the father of the victim observed that it was the same mobile phone number that was used to demanded for ransom. As such, SARS were notified and subsequently apprehended the suspect when he arrived with the boy,” Malum said.

– DAILY TRUST