Police arrest four for attempted kidnap, extortion

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested four middle-aged men for alleged conspiracy, attempted kidnapping, and extortion.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement on Thursday, said the two incidents happened at Ajuba Fulani Camp, Ilesha Baruba, Baruten Local Government, and Iyana-Share in Ifelodun Local Government.

According to the PPRO, the suspects have been charged to court and remanded in one of the state’s correctional facilities.

She explained that the suspects devised the tactic of placing a paper containing their contact details at the targeted victims’ doors.

On seeing the details, the timid residents would call back, after which they were often threatened with kidnapping unless they paid certain millions of Naira.

“In response to a reported case of criminal conspiracy and threats to kidnap, the Kwara State Police Command has arrested two suspects who attempted to extort money from a victim.

“On January 15, 2025, at about 06:30 hrs, a resident of Ajuba Fulani Camp, Ilesha Baruba, discovered a white paper placed at the front door of his residence with two phone numbers written on it.

“Upon calling one of the numbers, the receiver threatened to kidnap him and his family unless a ransom of ₦20 million was paid. After negotiations, the demand was reduced to ₦4 million. The victim promptly reported the case to the police.

“Through intelligence-driven operations, operatives from the State Criminal Investigations Department (Anti-Kidnapping Squad) successfully tracked the identified phone numbers, leading to the arrest of two suspects: Tukur Muhammad and Yahaya Abdullahi.

“During thorough interrogations, the suspects admitted to strategically placing their contact details at the victim’s residence to establish communication and coerce a ransom payment.

“Further investigations uncovered a pattern of criminal activity, indicating that the suspects had been utilizing multiple phone numbers to issue threats and extort unsuspecting individuals.

“The suspects have been charged to court and remanded in one of the state’s correctional facilities,” she explained.

The command also foiled a kidnapping attempt and arrested two suspects involved in criminal conspiracy and extortion in Ifelodun Local Government.

She recalled that on January 9, 2025, at about 11:00 hours, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the State Criminal Investigation Department of the command acted on a report by two individuals from Ifelodun Local Government who received threatening calls and messages demanding a ransom of ₦5 million to avoid being kidnapped.

“Through intelligence-led operations, the police detectives tracked and arrested one Umar Sanni of Tarshan Girgi, Wushishi, Niger State, whose apprehension led to the arrest of one Dairu Isiaku of Iyana Share, Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State. Both suspects have confessed to their roles in the crime, including providing phone numbers of numerous potential victims and issuing threats to extort money,” she stated.