The Police Command in Kano State has arrested a suspected female kidnap kingpin, Maryam Muhammad, 23, and three other members of the gang for alleged kidnapping.
They are Sani Ibrahim, 35, Shamsuddeen Suleiman, 21 and Ishaq Khalil, 32. The spokesman of the command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, stated this while parading the suspects on Wednesday in Kano.
Haruna said the suspects were arrested on Jan. 15, by a team of Operation Puff Adder, at Jaba quarters in Ungogo Local Government Area of the state.
He said the command on Jan. 12, received a report by one Ado Sunusi, over the kidnapping of his son, Muhammad Sunusi, 28.
He said the prime suspect, Maryam, made phone calls to the victim with intention to buy a mobile cell phone at the rate of N65,000 and requested him to deliver it to her home at Jaba quarters.
“Upon his arrival, the suspects attacked the victim and bound his hands. “Few days later, they demanded for N10 million ransom from the victim’s family and transported his car to Zamfara state,” he said.
Haruna said the command based on credible intelligence, trailed the kidnappers to their den at a rented apartment in Jaba area of Kano metropolis.
He said the suspects engaged the policemen in fierce gun duel before they were subdued and rescued the victim. The police, he said, arrested the gang leader, Maryam and three other male members of the gang as well as recovered one AK 47 rifle, one magazine, 30 round ammunition and a motorcycle from the suspects.
“Investigations revealed that Maryam’s husband, one Sani Ismail, a notorious cattle rustlers was killed at Butsa village in Zamfara in an attempt to cart away rustled cattle.
“After the death of her husband, her brother, Hamza Dogo, also a kidnapper assisted her to relocate from Zamfara to Kano where she rented apartments at Unguwa Uku, Panshekara, Maidile and Jaba quarters.
“Also; on Jan. 2, the suspects kidnapped one Shafiu Umar and collected N10 million ransom and a motorcycle from his family before he was released,” he said.
According to him, the command also recovered four AK47 rifles and 81 round ammunition in a mop up operation against the gang.
Haruna said that investigation into the case was in progress and urged residents of the state to be vigilant and report suspicious persons and movements in their communities to the police.
