A 36-year-old man, Abubakar Halilu, has narrated how he was caught in a den of kidnappers he arranged with to abduct his cousin.
He plotted the kidnap and murder of his cousin, to avoid repaying the sum of N1.4 million he owed her, in Galadimawa, Kaduna State.
According to him, his cousin bought some tricycles valued at N3.9 million and gave them to him on hire purchase. He claimed he successfully paid N2.5 million and was owing her a balance of N1.4 million which he did not want to pay.
“I was supposed to have finished payment in December 2020. The total amount was N3.9 million. I have paid her N2.5 million, remaining a balance of N1.4 million. When she called to ask for the balance, I told her I was going to collect my money from someone. I lured her to accompany me to collect the money from the person but took her to bandits in Galadimawa.
“As we arrived the place, they kidnapped both of us and took us into the bush and separated us. My plan was for them to kill her. They were supposed to collect N100 million ransom and give me my share before they would kill her. I spent five days with them.”
My cousin was able to escape from the initial gang but fell into another kidnap gang’s hands. I was the one that drove her in her car to the place I told her I was going to collect money. After we were kidnapped, the kidnappers took the car away to a junction,” he told the police.
He claimed his co-conspirators, however, held him hostage and demanded that his family should bring money for his release.
“I don’t know the amount they negotiated with my family but I managed to escape from their camp on the day payment was supposed to be made. As I was escaping, I begged a farmer I met on the road to give me his phone to contact my people. I told the stranger that I was kidnapped.
“I told my people on the phone not to bother to pay money to anybody. I told my people that I escaped when the kidnappers went out. I told them to come and meet me at Iredachi Junction. From there, one of my brothers that came to pick me handed me over to IRT office,” he said.