A 36-year-old man, Abubakar Halilu, has been arrested by the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) for plotting the kidnap and murder of his cousin.
According to the police, Halilu lured his cousin, a businesswoman, to a kidnappers’ den at Galadimawa area of Kaduna State and had planned with them to kill her so that he would not repay the sum of N1.4 million he owed her. The police say the suspect had driven the victim’s car on the day they were both supposedly kidnapped and held hostage in different parts of the bush only for her car keys and other items in the vehicle to be found in his custody.
He allegedly made arrangements with the criminals to collect N100 million as ransom from the woman’s family and kill her afterward, but luck ran out on him as the victim escaped from the camp where she was held when her captors went out for an operation.
While being interrogated, Halilu said his cousin bought some tricycles aka Keke Marwa valued at N3.9 million and gave them to him on hire purchase. He claimed he successfully paid N2.5 million and was owing her a balance of N1.4 million which he did not want to pay, adding that the day she was kidnapped, he told her to escort him to recover money from a debtor.
“I was supposed to have finished payment in December 2020. The total amount was N3.9 million. I have paid her N2.5 million, remaining a balance of N1.4 million
When she called to ask for the balance, I told her I was going to collect my money from someone. After discussing with the person I claimed owed me money, I lured her to accompany me to collect the money from the person but took her to bandits in Galadimawa.
Before I got there, I had discussed with the kidnappers. I knew them at the farm I was going to in Kubu area. I knew they were kidnappers. They were about five in number. In the camp, they have about 50 different gangs. They took me to their house. They have houses in the bush. They have huts where they keep kidnapped victims.
So, as we arrived the place, they kidnapped both of us and took us into the bush and separated us. My plan was for them to kill her.”
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