Nine children reportedly kidnapped at different locations in Kano and moved down to Anambra state by their abductors have been rescued by the Kano State Police Command.
The Kano State Commissioner of Police disclosed that a total of 124 suspects were arrested for various crimes ranging from armed robbery, phone snatching, human trafficking, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, during an operation at various area across the state.
While addressing reporters at the Bompai Police Headquarters on Saturday, the Police commissioner in the state, Mr. Ahmed Iliyasu revealed that the ring of the human traffickers that have been operating for over five Years in the ancient city of Kano were smashed by the Command’s tactical team and the Inspector General of Police Operation Puff adder attached to the anti-kidnapping squad.
According to Illiyasu, the kidnapped children are between the ages of two and 10 years who were kidnapped five years ago by a kidnapping gang led by Paul Owne (38) and his wife, Mercy Paul (38), residing at Dakata quarters.
The Commissioner said that the two kidnappers were arrested while trying to take one of the kidnapped victims, Haruna Sagir Bako to Onitsha in Anambra state.
The victim, he said was kidnapped last September on his way back from Islammiyya School at Yankaba Quarters.
According to him, “six suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping, buying, and selling of the children who were discovered in Onitsha, Anambra state from Ebere Ogbodo 45), a teacher,at a school in Anambra state who is the buyer and sellers of trafficked human beings.”
The police boss said that Usman Mohammed (5) was kidnapped and sold for N1.2 million, but, however, luck ran out of Paul and Mercy and other four kidnappers were apprehended.
While reacting to this development, Paul confessed to journalists that he truly committed the crime with five others, adding that he and his wife has been in the illicit job for over five years.
Paul revealed that “since I have been in this business, I have never a human for less than N300, 000. I regret my actions now and I am pleading for forgiveness because I have vowed not to go into this kind of business again.”
Paul’s wife, Mercy, said with red eyes that she has been pleading with Paul to stop the business, “I am a divorcee. I met Paul few years ago and we got married. I have warned him severally over this business but he didn’t listen, look at where it has landed us now.”
According to reports, five kidnappers were apprehended in Bauchi state for kidnapping a two-year-old boy from Kano.
The kidnappers were said to be neighbours with their victims’ parents from whom they demanded a ransom of N1 million, but were arrested at the point of negotiation by the police who disguised as their negotiator.
According to him, “on 25 September, 2019 at about 10 p.m, a report of organized kidnapping was reported by one Buhari Rabiu of Medile Sheka wuarters, Kano that his son, one Abubakar Buhari, aged two and half years old was kidnapped by unknown persons and taken to an unknown destination.
“One Buhari Na ‘Ali aged 22, a neighbour to the complainant was arrested in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi state and the victim was rescued at School of Health Technology, Ningi.
” On interrogation, he confessed to have conspired with one Ibrahim Ahmed (20) of Sheka quarters and Mubarak Gidare (23) from Ningi, Bauchi state, an accomplice were arrested.
“The kidnappers said while negotiating for the collection of the ransom at N160, 000, but on arresting them, the police recovered N124, 700 from them.”
Items recovered include 25 assorted types of assault rifles, five bags of Indian Hemp, three bags containing live and expired 9.62 ammunition, as well as 22 stolen vehicles.