26th October, 2021
By Jethro Ibileke
A 21-year-old man, Yakubu Idris, has been arrested by operatives of Edo State Police Command, for allegedly threatening to kidnap the Chairman of Hausa Community in the State, Alhaji Badamasi Saleh.
The suspect was arrested in far away Kano State, following a petition from Alhaji Saleh on threat to kidnap him by an unknown person who claimed he is a member of a kidnapping gang living in Birnin-Gwari bush, Kaduna State with his gang members.
According to a statement by Edo Police Command Spokesman, SP Kontongs Bello, Yakubu Idris, in his threat alleged that he was paid one million naira by someone close to the complainant to kidnap him but that he decided to reveal it to him because he is a good person.
“The suspect insisted that he [complaint) must pay 1 million naira into a designated GT Bank [account] to pacify his gang members not to execute the planned kidnap.
“The complainant at this point kept pleading and negotiating with the suspects who eventually accepted payment of one hundred thousand naira which was paid into the GT Bank account, hence the petition.
“On receipt of the information, the operatives of the Command immediately swung into action and arrested the suspect in his hideout in Kano State.
“During the cause of the investigation, it was revealed that the Yakubu Idris was someone the complainant had assisted in the past while he was in Benin. He has confessed to the crime and investigation is ongoing to unravel other gang members if any,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner Of Police, CP Philip Aliyu Ogbadu, has enjoined members of the general public not to relent in providing useful and timely information to the police that could lead to the arrest of criminal elements and their cohorts.
Ogbadu further warns criminals to desist from their acts or relocate to other places or else, they will be caught and made to face the full wrath of the law.