The Nigeria Police Force, through operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has uncovered a staged k!dnapping scheme and separately arrested members of a suspected k!dnapping and armed robbery syndicate in two intelligence-led investigations.

A statement from CSP Ani Iniedu, spokesperson of the force, said in the first case, operatives arrested Nansik Wuyep Sule, 34, in connection with the reported k!dnapping of two-year-old Rito Jesse Davou. 

Iniedu said the investigation revealed that Sule allegedly conspired with the child’s biological mother, Catherine Davou, to stage the k!dnapping and create the impression that the child had been abducted, with an initial ransom demand of N7 million.

‘’Further investigation revealed that the child was kept at Sule’s residence, where a subsequent ransom demand of N15 million was made. Another suspect, Luka Emmanuel Butdam, was also arrested for allegedly making calls to the child’s grandmother in connection with the ransom demand.

The child was subsequently located and safely rescued and, after receiving medical attention, handed over to his biological father.” he said

In a separate investigation, operatives arrested Idris Mohammed a.k.a. Yellow and Mohammed Bello Adams over their alleged involvement in the k!dnapping of a commercial driver, Idris Zakari Baba, and other related criminal activities.

Iniedu said investigation by the police revealed that the victim was allegedly lured under the pretext of conveying Mohammed from Abuja to Zaria before being intercepted by armed men, taken into the bush and held until a ransom of N3 million was paid. The victim’s vehicle, a 2012 Toyota Corolla, was subsequently traced to Bauchi State and recovered while Mohammed was attempting to sell it.

Further investigation also linked the suspects to the reported k!dnapping of Pastor David Dahni and his driver, Abdullahi Abubakar, for which a ransom of N10.5 million was reportedly paid.