Niger Police Arrest Couple over Fake Abduction

By Laleye Dipo

A week ago, the media was awash with the news of the abduction of a school teacher in Minna, the Niger state capital.

The school teacher 31year old Sadiya Umar was said to be returning home from work when she was reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

Seven days after the alleged kidnap of Sadiya Umar, she was released after the sum of N1m instead of the N5m ransom demanded was paid to her “abductors”.

The kidnap case has now been found to be fake – an arrangement between Mohammed Mohammed the husband of Sadiya, his wife and one Abubakar.

The police said in Minna on Friday that investigation into the case had proven that “it is a case of self kidnap”

DSP Wasiu Abiodun in a statement made available to newsmen said: “On 21/07/2021 at about 1000hrs, the said Sadiya re-surfaced and was invited by the Police for questioning. During interrogation, she confessed to have conspired with her husband ‘Mohammed’ to fake her kidnap”.

According to Abiodun, Sadiya was taken to Nugupi village via Paiko some few kilometers from Minna the state capital where she was kept by her husband at his friend’s place.

The police spokesman also claimed that the husband also confessed to have collected the wife’s phone and handed it over to one Abdullahi, his friend who negotiated and collected the ransom on his (Mohammed) behalf.

He said the police were on the trail of the said Abdullahi, while investigation into the case had commenced after which they will be charged to court.

He advised members of the public “to be calm and not panic at every reported case of crime especially kidnapping, as some of the alleged crimes, especially kidnapping, are faked and done with the connivance of family members or close associates for monetary gains.”

Abiodun disclosed that: “This is the third of its kind in recent times where such crimes are faked. However, the Police will always be on top of every situation to guarantee security of lives and properties of Nigerlites”.