Police nab 3 suspected kidnappers in Osun

Blessing Akorowosi, Osogbo

Three suspected kidnappers have been arrested by the Osun State Police Command after a kidnap attempt was foiled.

The suspected kidnappers are; Barri Galadima, Muhammadu Abdullahi and  Hussain Abdullah.

They were nabbed by the State command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad in their hideout at a remote village in Oyo State who foiled their attempt to kidnap one Alhaji Idris Aliu who is also a Fulani man.

Two of the suspects, Galadima and Abdullahi confessed to the crime while the third suspect, Hussaini who is a Seriki Fulani in Afijio Local Government area of Oyo state denied his involvement in the act.

Abdullahi narrated, “Honestly, it is the offence of kidnapping, this man Barri Galadima, met Sarki, who gave him a number of one man who would be a good target to kidnap.

“At that time I didn’t know the man, even now I don’t know him, but it was Sarki that gave Barri the number.”

Speaking on their operation, Galadima explained, “We planned a kidnapping operation and called one man, we continued calling him, demanding for a ransom but he didn’t give us.

“We then threatened to kidnap him if he doesn’t pay us a ransom. But before we could kidnap him, the Government came and apprehended us.”

The Commander of the Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Osun State, S.P Moses Lohor confirmed the arrest saying the kidnappers abducted their fellow Fulani men.

There was a gun duel between the policemen and the kidnappers numbering about 30 in their hideout during which one of the policemen sustained gun shot injury.

A relative of one of the captives, Yisa Aliu said the kidnappers abducted his brother and shot him while in captive despite the payment of ransom by the family.

“We have had terrible experience in the hands of the kidnappers. They kidnapped my brother and shot him despite collecting N4million from us.

“They attended to kidnap my second brother Idrisu to collect money from us again. We ran to Seriki Toyin to help us. We reported to Anti-Kidnapping Policemen and they voided the attempt to kidnap Idrisu,” Aliu said.

One of the leaders of Fulani men in the state, Alhaji Sulaimon Oluwatoyin lamented that the rise in the kidnap of Fulani men by fellow Fulanis is tarnishing their image calling for a stop.

He commended the State Commissioner of Police, CP Kehinde Longe and his men for their timely intervention.

CP Longe has assured that the suspects would face the full wrath of the law and that their fleeing colleagues would be apprehended and prosecuted as well.