Two suspects kidnap and kill neighbour’s 13-year-old son in Niger state after failing to collect N100,000 ransom

Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have arrested two suspects who allegedly kidnapped and killed their neighbour’s 13-year-old son in Tafa Local Government Local Government Area of the state. 

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement on Monday, August 1, said the suspects, Usman Sabiu and Nafiu Umar, were arrested following a report received by the command on Saturday, July 30, about the missing boy, Yasir Salisu. 

According to the PPRO, the suspects abducted the boy with the intention of collecting N100,000 from his father. 

Upon interrogation, Sabiu confessed that they strangled the boy to death and buried him in a shallow grave because he could not produce his father’s contact number to demand for ransom and had recognised them. 

“On 30/07/2022 at about 1400hrs, based on a report that one Yasir Salisu aged 13yrs ‘m’ of Hayin-Nasarawa, Tafa LGA has been missing since on 29/07/2022, Police operatives attached to Tafa Division on a reasonable suspicion arrested the following two suspects; Usman Sabiu aged 22yrs ‘m’ of Hayin-Nasarawa, Tafa and Nafiu Umar aged 18yrs ‘m’ of same address,” 

“During a rigorous and painstaking interrogation, Usman Sabiu confessed to have conspired with Nafiu Umar and abducted the missing person to the residence of Nafiu with the intention of collecting one hundred thousand naira ransom (N100,000) from the victim’s father.

“Unfortunately, he claimed that the victim could not produce the father’s contact number to demand for ransom and both suspects were identified by the victim who are neigbours; hence, the victim was strangled and killed by the suspects.

“In the course of investigation, the suspects led Police operatives to a river bank in Hayin-Nasarawa where the deceased was buried in a shallow grave. The corpse was exhumed and deposited at Umar Yar’adua Hospital Morgue for autopsy

“Case is under investigation and the suspects will be arraigned in court for prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded.”

The command advised parents and guardians to closely watch and monitor their ward’s movement within the community for safety.