Crime
Police Did Not Rescue Us, Kidnappers Collected ₦40M – Nasarawa Poly Student Reveals
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, who was kidnapped alongside 29 others, has disclosed that the kidnappers collected about N40 million in ransom before they were granted freedom.
Akelicious reported on Monday that about 30 travellers, including some students of the polytechnic, were abducted by kidnappers along the Abuja-Nasarawa Highway on Friday.
Recall that the kidnappers ambushed the vehicles transporting the travellers and took them into a nearby bush in the Uke area of Nasarawa State. A student among the abductees was travelling to her family in Abuja at the time of the incident.
Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday, the victim recounted how the seven-man gang ambushed their vehicles, shot at the tyres, and robbed them of their belongings before abducting them into the bush.
She further explained that once in the thick bush, the kidnappers allowed the victims to rest upon realizing some were exhausted.
She disclosed that around midnight on Saturday, the kidnappers instructed the captives to call their relatives to demand a ransom of N10 million each.
The victim also stated that after several pleadings, the kidnappers grouped them into students and non-students, demanding that students collectively pay N10 million while others should pay N10 million each.
She added, “We, who are students, started calling our relatives and money was rallied around to make the payment.
“There is an Alhaji among the other group who raised about N20m and other people raised about N10m. The total money they got was about N40m.
“During the whole incident, we did not see any police officer come around till we were released. It was after they said they had got the money that they allowed us to go. We have gone to the police station but were told to write a statement.”
A relative of the victim earlier stated that the victim had reached out to her family, notifying them of her release.
“She contacted us this morning, saying they had been released. I am on my way to the police station because the number she called us from has been unreachable since,” the relative said.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Rahman Nansel, were unsuccessful, as messages and calls to his phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
Suspected bandits have kidnapped at least 46 people, including women and children, during a violent raid on Gana town in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria.
The attack has left the community in chaos as dozens of armed men on motorbikes stormed the area, firing indiscriminately and setting homes and businesses ablaze.
It was gathered that the bandits operated unchallenged for hours, rounding up their captives before retreating into the forest.
“They came in large numbers and started shooting. People ran in all directions, but they still managed to take many of our loved ones,” a resident said.
A local traditional leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the abductions, adding that the victims picked since Sunday included several women and children.
He lamented the lack of security presence in the area, describing the attack as a “devastating blow to the community.”
This incident comes on the heels of a similar mass kidnapping in Zamfara last month, raising concerns over escalating insecurity in the region.
However, despite ongoing military operations to curb banditry, attacks have continued to threaten lives and livelihoods in Zamfara and neighboring states.
Reuters reports that efforts to contact Zamfara police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar for comment were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages went unanswered.
A 30-year-old man, Motunrayo Olaniyi, has reportedly stabbed his newlywed wife, Olajumoke, to death at Amazing Grace Estate, Elepe in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The incident was said to have occurred on Friday after a heated argument between the couple.
The Lagos State Police Command, while confirming the incident in a statement by its spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Saturday stated that Motunrayo stabbed the 25-year-old wife multiple times during the altercation, locked her in the room, and set it on fire.
He added that the suspect also inflicted wounds on himself after committing the act.
A team of policemen who arrived at the scene were however said to have extinguished the fire and after that discovered Olajumoke’s lifeless body with abdominal wounds.
The statement read in part, “A distress call was received on October 4 at Ikorodu Division that a newly wedded couple, one Motunrayo Olaniyi, aged 30, and his wife Olajumoke, aged 25 years, allegedly engaged in a domestic scuffle in their room at Amazing Grace Estate, Elepe, Ikorodu.
“In the process, the husband reportedly stabbed the wife to death, locked her in the room, and set it ablaze, while he inflicted wounds on himself.
“Police from the Ikorodu Division responded to a distress call and put out the fire. They found Olajumoke’s lifeless body with abdominal wounds.”
The police spokesperson further stated that Olaniyi was rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital where he was treated and discharged before being taken into police custody.
According to him, a preliminary investigation later revealed that the suspect stabbed his wife during the altercation and inflicted minor wounds on himself.
“The corpse has been deposited at Ikorodu General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Investigation is in progress”, he concluded.
By Francesca Hangeior.
A Kwara State Magistrate Court has sentenced a teenage boy to one year imprisonment for arson and theft.
It will be recalled that the teenage boy, Olawumi Ayomide, set a building on fire in Ilorin after stealing items belonging to the occupants.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, arraigned Ayomide on Monday, September 30.
According to a press release made available to journalists on Tuesday, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASC1 Ayoola Michael Shola, the court presided over by Magistrate M.A. Yahaya, found the suspect guilty and sentenced him to one year in Mandala Correctional Centre without the option of a fine.
“On Wednesday, 25th September 2024, at 1200hrs, the suspect broke into a three-bedroom bungalow belonging to one Mrs. Bolatito Adebayo at No. 50, Afenifere Community, Onireke, Upper Gaa Akanbi, Ilorin South LGA,” the statement read.
“During the invasion, he reportedly stole items such as foodstuffs, groceries, and clothing, and subsequently set the residential building ablaze.
“Upon being apprehended at the scene, the suspect attempted to evade capture by igniting the fire as a diversion. Despite his efforts, he was ultimately captured and handed over to the NSCDC for further investigation and prosecution.
“The NSCDC Kwara State Commandant, Dr. Umar J.G. Mohammed, reiterated the Corps’ relentless onslaught against criminal activities in the state and vowed to ensure the safety and security of all citizens.”
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