Richard P. Ngbokai, DailyTrust
Police command in Kano on Wednesday paraded four suspected kidnappers among whom was a 23-year-old lady, Maryam Mohammed.
She confessed that her first operation as a kidnapper started with her ex-boyfriend who refused to marry her after years of courtship.
Maryam Mohammed, popularly known as Hajiya was arrested last week Tuesday along with three other members of her syndicate at Jaba quarters, Ungogo local government area of Kano state ‘while negotiating ransom with the family of one of their captives.’
She said she was introduced into the crime by her uncle, one Hamza Dogo of Butsa village, Gusau local government of Zamfara state, after she had parted ways with her ex-lover.
“I was introduced into kidnapping by my uncle called Hamza from Butsa village, Gusau local government of Zamfara state and the first person we kidnapped was my ex-boyfriend who refused to marry me despite my efforts to get him convinced during our years of courtship.
“After he had dumped me, my uncle asked me to bring him so that we could hold him until he pays money before we could release him.
“When we kidnapped him, his family paid N5m to secure his freedom and out of that amount I was given N800,000 with which I rented that house at Jaba quarters” Hajiya confessed.
The syndicate was said to be part of the kidnappers terrorizing communities in Zamfara and parts of Kano state.
The spokesman, Kano police Command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa who paraded the suspects said Investigation conducted by the police had revealed that “Maryam’s husband, one Sani Ismail, of Bidda LGA of Niger State, “who was a Notorious Cattle Rustler, was killed in Butsa Village, Gusau LGA of Zamfara State while carting away rustled Cows.
“After the death of the husband, her brother, one Hamza Dogo of Butsa Village, Gusau LGA of Zamfara State, also a notorious kidnapper relocated her to Kano where she rented apartments in Unguwa Uku, Panshekara and Maidile Quarters.
”She later moved to Jaba Quarters and rented another apartment for Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N600,000.00), per annum, which she turned into a kidnappers Den.”
“Other members of syndicate are Sani Ibrahim and Shamsudeen Suleiman both of Butsa Village, Gusau LGA, Zamfara State as well as Ishaq Khalil, alias Baban Basma of Rijiyar Lemo Quarters, Fagge LGA of Kano State.”
