Sadly, the operators of the facility had reportedly tortured one of the victims, Aminu Ado, to death before the rescue operation.
Parading the suspects at Bompai Police headquarters yesterday, spokesperson of the command, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, disclosed that the culprits of the dastardly act were apprehended at their Naibawa ‘Yan Lemo Quarters in Kumbotso Local Council following an intelligence report.
Kiyawa said news of the illegal confinement leaked to the public when 10 of the children reportedly escaped from captivity, leading to a manhunt to uncover the facility.
The police spokesperson revealed that after the arrest of the suspects, preliminary investigation confirmed confession of illegal harbour of teenagers in the last ten years despite the initial ban by the state government.
His words: “On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Sama’ila Dikko, immediately instructed detectives led by Abdulkarim Abdullahi to mount 24-hour surveillance, verify the report, rescue the victims and arrest the culprits.
“The team immediately swung in to action and the report was found to be true. When we uncovered the home, we found 113 inmates locked up in a hall, some with various degrees of injuries resulting from torture. We have since taken them to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, for treatment and handed over to the state government.”
The six suspects, according to the police, include Musa Safiyanu (m) of Na’ibawa Yan Lemo Quarters, Kano; Abdullatif Musa (m), 18, of Na’ibawa Wailari Quarters, Kano; and Usman Imam (m), 19, of Yanya, Abuja; Mustapha Bala (m), 20, of Azare, Bauchi State.
Others are Sadiq Ismail (m), 19, of Unguwa Uku Quarters, Kano; Umar Abdulwahab (m), 38, of Kureken Sani Quarters, Kumbotso.
He said the CP ordered discreet investigation, adding that the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.
