Inability to pay my children's school fees forced me into kidnapping- Suspect

30-year-old Abdullahi Samaila has been arrested by men of the Niger state police command for being a kidnapper. In his confessional statement, Abdullahi who is a herdsman, said his inability to pay his children's school fees forced him to turn to kidnapping. 

The suspect was arrested after he orchestrated the abduction of one of his friends, Alhaji Yahaya Hamza of the Fulani Camp in the Karaye Local Government of Kano State on August 31st 2019. Hamza was on his way to Kano state when he met with Abdullahi who convinced him to pass the night at his house in Ishau village. In the middle of the night, Abdullahi and two others who are currently at large, held Hamza hostage and robbed him of N15,000 and other valuables totalling N16,500. They also contacted Hamza's family and demanded the payment of N7m as ransom before his release.

They were arrested by the police following a tipoff.

While being paraded before newsmen at the Niger state police command yesterday September 10th, Abdullahi said his cattle business has been redundant for many months and so he had to take to crime to generate income to cater for his family's needs.

“What I am getting from cattle rearing cannot pay the school fees of my five children. I don’t have anybody to help me; I lost my parents when I was very young and that was why I took to crime. My wife only knows that I am a herdsman and not a kidnapper; she will never forgive me.”

The police says he will be charged to court soon.