The Katsina Police Command said it arrested three youths who staged a fake kidnap of their friend to extort a ransom of N500, 000 from his father, Alhaji Illayasu Jibiya.
DSP Gambo Isah, the Katsina Command Police Relation’s Officer on Thursday in Katsina said, “Those arrested are Aminu Rahamawa, (19), Abdullahi Bature (23), and Kabiru Iliyasu, the son of a businessman in Jibia town of the state.”
Isah disclosed that the youths conspired and stage-managed the kidnapping of their friend, Kabiru Iliyasu, and demanded a ransom from the father, Alhaji Iliyaus.
“The youths demanded N500, 000 before they will release the victim or they will exterminate him,” he said.
The PPRO said that the man before paying the ransom reported the matter to the state CID for investigation.
Isah revealed that the CID collected the GSM phone that they had been using to call the father of the fake kidnap case.
“The police operatives directed the businessman to comply and pay the ransom money at the point they directed. Luck, however, ran against them as the police arrested one of them trying to pick the ransom money,” he said.
The PPRO said that the arrested person confessed that the kidnap was fake and organised to extort money from their friend’s father, Alhaji Iliyasu Jibia.
Isah revealed that the three youths were currently helping the police with vital information about the case.
He called on members of the public to always forward information about criminal activities to police for action, saying that the police would not reveal the identity of the person that provided the information.
Jibia is a business border town with an international grains market.
