Kidnappers threaten to indoctrinate abducted Abuja chief’s son into banditry

Bandits have threatened to train the abducted son of the village head of Tekpeshe community in Abaji Area Council of the FCT, Ibrahim Sarki, in the criminal act if he failed to pay the N8m ransom they demanded.

Daily Trust reported that the bandits, on September 10, 2022, invaded Tekpeshe community and abducted a former councillor, Mohammed Ibrahim Tanko, son of the village chief, Ibrahim Sarki, and 16 others.

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However, on Friday, September 16, the ex-councillor and 16 others were set free, leaving behind the village chief’s son, Ibrahim Sarki.

The Waziri of Tekpeshe, Ibrahim Tanko, who spoke with our reporter over the phone on Tuesday, said the bandits have threatened to keep the son of the village chief and train him to be part of them if the chief or members of his family fail to raise the ransom.

“When the bandits’ leader called last week asking the family to raise another N10 million, the family told them that they didn’t know where and how to raise the money.

“He later said we should raise N8 million and after that, he switched off his phone,” he said.

He said the bandits’ leader called after three days, threatening that if the chief or his family members failed to raise the N8 million ransom, they would keep the boy in their captivity and train him to be a kidnapper.

Waziri said the entire community sold the farm produce they had stocked, motorcycles and a car before they could raise N5.2 million, including N75,000 worth of drugs, foodstuffs and recharge cards before the ex-councillor and  16 other people were set free.

“You can remember that I told you I was among those abducted and set free alongside 16 others and our former councillor. Now where do we go to raise the N8 million ransom they are demanding again,” he said.

The spokeswoman of the FCT police command, DSP Adeh Josephine, was yet to reply to a text message sent to her about the latest threat by the bandits.