Police arrest Abuja sisters’ kidnapper, recover N2.25m

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a bandit, Bello Mohammed, who is suspected to have been involved in the murder of a hostage, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar.

The late Nabeeha was one of six girls of the Al-Kadriyar family abducted alongside 17 others in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on January 2, 2024.

In a statement on Sunday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said Mohammed was arrested at a hotel in Kaduna on January 20.

Adejobi said, “Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, on January 20, 2024, arrested one Bello Mohammed, 28, of Zamfara state, in Kaduna.

“The Divisional Police Officer, Tafa Division, acting on intelligence, raided one hotel in Tafa Area, Kaduna, where he arrested Bello, with the sum of N2.25m only, suspected to be proceeds of ransoms collected from kidnapped victims within the area.

“The suspect, during interrogation, confessed to being part of the gang that kidnapped the family members of one Barrister Ariyo in Bwari, FCT, on January 2, 2024, and killed some kidnapped victims, including Nabeeha, the female, daughter of the legal practitioner, on January 13, 2024, in a kidnappers' camp, in Kaduna State.

 “The suspect, in a dramatic situation, offered N1m to induce the DPO, who rejected the offer and carried out his duty diligently.

“The Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has ordered that the suspect, who also confessed to the involvement of the already five neutralised bandits in Kaduna by the IRT, headed by one Mai Gemu (aka Godara), whose deadly camp has also been destroyed, be handed over to the DFI-IRT in Abuja for discreet investigations into the matter and arrest of all other culprits responsible for the dastardly act. The suspect is currently helping the police in their investigations.”

The IG commended the DPO and Tafa, SP Idris Ibrahim, “for the commitment and professionalism displayed in the case.”

Egbetolun said the police would leave no stone unturned “in decimating criminally-minded individuals and bequeathing to Nigerians a more secure society for all and sundry in our dear country, Nigeria.”