From: Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Kano State Police Command has busted a kidnap syndicate said to have been tormenting the state in the recent past.
A total of three suspects were arrested and seven children victims were rescued from the,.
A statement signed, on Wednesday, by the Police Public Relations Officers in the state, DSP Magaji Musa Majiya, said the suspects included the ring leader, Khalifa Usman a.k.a Gurgu of Layin Pole Kurna Asabe Quarters, Idris Aminu of Lokon Sheshe Quarters and one Abdullahi Aminu a.k.a Sharu of Sharifai Quarters in Kano.
Two other members of the gang, said the statement, are presently at large, while adding that coordinated effort were being made toward the arrest of the fleeing members of the syndicate.
The police said that so far, one mobile telephone, three SIM cards and top up cards were recovered from the suspects, and tendered as exhibits.
The police statement also said that the suspects had confessed to the crime.
According to the statement, “The ring leader Khalifa Usman and Idris Aminu frequent various quarters of Kano Metropolis spying on houses and kidnapping children specifically in Dandishe, Dorayi Babba, Kofar Mazugal, Koki and Gwagwarwa quarters.
“When they kidnap a child, they would meet with the other gang members, start making phone calls to negotiate with the parents for delivery of ransom,” said the statement.
The statement also disclosed that as negotiation for ransom was ongoing, “The child will be whisked to a far away town such as Gwarzo, Danbatta Gezawa and Sauna Quarters where they would be delivered to the house of a village/ward head as a missing child”.
“They will then continue to put pressure on the parents to submit the ransom which usually turns to be in recharge cards of various network providers.”
The police said that already, four parents had yielded to their demands and sent recharge cards worth hundreds of thousands of naira for the release of their wards.
The Command, therefore, called on members of the traditional institution, Imams, community leaders and other well meaning members of the society to make proper documentation of all persons delivering a missing child to them, or report same to the nearest police station.
The police asked parents to accompany their children with to schools and other places while discouraging the habit of sending little children on errand.
The Police Command, in the statement, assured the public of its determination to provide secured and conducive ground for all the people in the state.