The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested four suspects over an alleged plot to kidnap a resident after demanding a ₦30 million ransom through anonymous phone calls.
The suspects, identified as Muhammad Shafiu, 21, Mansur Ibrahim, 21, Aliyu Umar, 25, and Muhammad Suleiman, 23, were arrested over alleged offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation through anonymous communication and threats to kidnap.
According to the Police Command, the arrests followed a complaint by Alhaji Aminu Garba of Jega, who reported receiving threatening telephone calls demanding ₦30 million or risk being kidnapped.
Police investigations revealed that the first three suspects allegedly procured a new SIM card and repeatedly contacted the victim, with one of them disguising his voice to sound like a Fulani man in an attempt to instil fear and conceal his identity.
The investigation further established that the fourth suspect, described as a family friend of the victim, allegedly supplied the victim’s phone number and family details, which were used to facilitate the threats.
The Command said operatives, acting on intelligence, tracked and arrested the suspects at Gumbin Kure and Gamjeji villages in Maiyama Local Government Area, foiling the alleged plot before it could be carried out.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Umar M. Hadejia, directed that the case be thoroughly investigated and the suspects prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Hadejia reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, warning that individuals involved in kidnapping, extortion and related crimes would face the full weight of the law.
The Police also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious calls or activities to the nearest police station or through its emergency numbers, assuring the public that all information received would be treated confidentially.