Two kidnappers, Gayya Alhaji Abdu (20) and Siyyo Alhaji Amadu (21), have repented and presented themselves to the leaders of hunters in Taraba State, saying they decided on their own to stop kidnapping.
Gayya told City & Crime that he participated twice in kidnapping and that in each of the operations he got N200,000 after the victims paid N5m ransom each.
Gayya said he joined a gang of kidnappers when he learnt that he was on the wanted lists of suspected kidnappers, noting that at the time his name was put on the wanted lists, he never committed any crime talk less of kidnapping, hence that he ran from his father’s house because he believed that once he was captured he would be killed.
Gayya further stated that he ran to a friend who was already working with a gang of kidnappers around the Jalingo, Kona and Lankabiri mountains.
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He explained that, “It was my friend that took me to a kidnappers’ den on top of a mountain around Kona. The gang was under the control of one kingpin called Bashe.
“On the mountain, l met many victims because all those that were abducted would be taken there and released after ransom is paid.
“l decided to repent because l could not withstand the horror and the ways and manners the victims were being treated, and also, l don’t want to be killed because most of the kidnappers end up being killed by security agents or hunters.”
He added that he wanted to be part of hunters and willfully participate in the current fight against bandits and kidnappers in the state.
Amadu on his part, said he joined a kidnapping gang on his own around Mayo-Renewo area in Ardo-Kola LGA.
He told our reporter that he participated in kidnapping many times but decided to stop and repent.
He said, “I decided to stop kidnapping and repent because l discovered that it is a very wicked act to abduct a fellow human being and force him to pay ransom.”
Commenting, Babangida Kwamando, the leader of the hunters, said he always accepted bandits or kidnappers that surrendered themselves to him.
He said the hunters’ association encouraged bandits and kidnappers to repent and renounce crime.
He further said, “Kidnappers and bandits that repent are made to swear by the Holy Qur’an that they will never commit such crimes before they are accepted and integrated into the hunters’ association.”
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