From Paul Orude Bauchi
Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 12-year-old boy for allegedly kidnapping a three-year-old girl in Bauchi.
In perpetrating the act, the police said the minor, Dayyabu Abdullahi, of Magama Gumau lured Mariya Yahaya, took the victim to an isolated place near a football field at Kara Aarea of Magama Gumau. Thereafter, he called the victim’s father on the phone and demanded a ransom of N150,000.
A statement issued by the police said: “On hearing this, the victim’s father (Yahaya Sale, 56) hung up the call, while the suspect kept calling but there was no response from the victim’s father,” Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Ahmed Mohammed Wakil.
“After a while, the victim’s father called the suspect on phone and identified the suspect as Dayyabu through his voice, as the suspect is known by the victim’s father.
“The suspect then kept mute and quickly cut the call when he realised that the victim’s father had uncovered his identity.
“Consequently, he swiftly took the girl back to their house and told her family that he sighted her crying near a football field.
“In this manner, the victim’s family immediately reported the suspect to the Police authority for necessary action.”
According to Wakil, a Superintendent of Police of Police in the course of interrogation, discovered that the suspect hailed from Kano State and came to Bauchi state in search of petty business with his siblings.
The PPRO said investigation showed the suspect hawked fried yam in Magama Gumau, and raised money to buy a mobile phone Techno Camon model.
«The investigation also revealed that the suspect got to know about kidnapping when some time ago his friend was kidnapped in Kano State until ransom was paid before he was released by his captors. That was how he learned about kidnapping and that money must be paid to set a victim free,» he said.
Wakil said the suspect confessed he would have used the ransom money to buy his desired clothes and phones, but cut short upon his arrest by the Police operatives.
