A member of a kidnap gang responsible for the abduction of two patients and a nurse from Kunwarke clinic and maternity in Kan-stakuwa area of Lafia, Nasarawa state has confessed getting N100,000 as his share of the ransom paid.
The gang collected the sum of N4 million as ransom from family and friends of the victims before freeing them.
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Two members of the gang, Abdullahi Danshoho and Illiyasu Salley have since been arrested by policemen attached to the Federal Investigation Bureau – Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT) led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, while three members of the gang are still on the run.
The kidnappers had invaded the hospital on November 30, 2020 and abducted two patients and a nurse.
In his confessional statement to the Police, Abdullahi Danshoho, 25, a National Certificate of Education (NCE) holder admitted receiving N100,000 as his own share of the money collected as ransom.
The suspect, from Nasarawa and married with four children, said he had wanted to be a truck driver but couldn’t until a friend introduced him to kidnapping.
“It was difficult to get a truck and as a father I needed to do something to be seen as a man. It was during this critical period of my life that I met a friend, Illiyasu, in September 2020. It was he who told me that kidnapping was the only way out. As a member of the gang, my job is to source for would be victims who have money.
Says he participates in five operations
“Since October that I joined the gang, I have participated in five kidnap operations. Three of them were successful. It was after the fifth one that I advised myself. I am a graduate with four children. I told myself that I should be careful before I disgrace my family. I stopped going out with them since December 2020.
“The first successful one was in Lafia where we picked an Igbo man. He lives around my area and drives big cars. I have asked him for money severally and he told me to go and hustle. I decided to give his details to Illiyasu who arranged the job. I only provided the information needed and at the end they gave me only N100,000.
“The second successful job was arranged by Illiyasu. We went to a clinic in Lafia. The clinic is where we normally go for treatment. My job is to confirm if the Medical director of the hospital was around. On the day we attacked, I was very sure that he was in the hospital. Unfortunately, he managed to escape, that was why we kidnapped those sick people.
“After some days, they gave me N100,000 as my share. I did not complain because they told me that the sick persons were farmers and the nurse is from a poor family. I later learnt that they collected N4 million but they lied to me.
“A week later I brought the third job which was also successful. It was my friend we kidnapped. We used to hang out. I decided to kidnap him because I was sure that his parents can afford to pay for his release. They gave N1.5million and my share was N100. It was when he came back sick that I regretted my action. He told me everything that happened” he added.
Another says kidnapping easier to make money
On his part Illiyasu Salleh, 24, who hails from Maraba, Lafia in Nasarawa state said he decided to go into kidnapping because it was easier to make money.
“I only attended Arabic school. I am a cattle rearer and a farmer. I have 10 cows and it was given to me by the people that I served. Normally, if you serve someone, they will pay you with two cows. I decided to go into kidnapping because it’s an easy way to make money. It was Maikano, Bodejo and Miagari. We have the hideout in Nasarawa state where we keep victims,” he added.
He admitted receiving N200,000 as his own share of the ransom money collected from those they abducted from the hospital in Lafia.
The police said the three fleeing members of the gang escaped with six AK 47 rifles and several rounds of ammunition belonging to the gang.
It was gathered that the suspects were arrested through a tip from intelligence gathered on the activities of the gang allegedly responsible for the recent attack on one hospital on the 30th of November 2020 where three persons were kidnapped.
The suspects during interrogation admitted to have participated in the hospital attack and several other kidnap cases in Nasarawa.
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