Police arrest suspects over staged kidnapping, rescue two-year-old

The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended suspects connected to a staged kidnapping involving a two-year-old child, simultaneously uncovering a separate suspected kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate. These arrests were made during two distinct intelligence-led investigations by the Force's Intelligence Response Team.

In the first case, 34-year-old Nansik Wuyep Sule was arrested in connection with the reported kidnapping of two-year-old Rito Jesse Davou. Police investigations revealed that Sule allegedly collaborated with the child's biological mother, Catherine Davou, to orchestrate the kidnapping. The plan involved creating the impression of an abduction to demand ransom, with initial demands of ₦7 million escalating to ₦15 million. The child was found at Sule's residence, and another suspect, Luka Emmanuel Butdam, was arrested for making ransom calls to the child's grandmother. The child was safely rescued and received medical attention before being reunited with his father.

In a separate operation, the IRT arrested Idris Mohammed, known as Yellow, and Mohammed Bello Adams. They are suspected of kidnapping commercial driver Idris Zakari Baba and engaging in other criminal activities. Baba was allegedly lured from Abuja to Zaria under the pretense of a ride, only to be intercepted by armed individuals and taken into the bush. A ransom of ₦3 million was reportedly paid for his release. The police traced Baba's 2012 Toyota Corolla to Bauchi State, where Mohammed was apprehended while attempting to sell it. Further investigations linked these suspects to the kidnapping of Pastor David Dahni and his driver, Abdullahi Abubakar, for which a ransom of ₦10.5 million was allegedly paid.

The police stated that investigations are ongoing to identify any other individuals involved in these crimes and to determine the full extent of the suspects' participation. The Force remains committed to pursuing these cases to ensure all perpetrators are brought to justice.