POLICE UNCOVER FAKE KIDNAP PLOT, RESCUE TWO-YEAR-OLD BOY IN PLATEAU

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a 34-year-old man over an alleged plot to stage the kidnapping of a two-year-old boy and demand ransom from his family.

The suspect, identified as Nansik Wuyep Sule, was arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team following an investigation into the reported abduction of two-year-old Rito Jesse Davou.

According to the police, investigations revealed that Sule allegedly worked with the child’s biological mother, Catherine Davou, to create the impression that the boy had been kidnapped.

The police said the suspects initially demanded ₦7m as ransom before the demand was later increased to ₦15m.

Investigators reportedly discovered that the child had not actually been taken by unknown kidnappers but was being kept at Sule’s residence as part of the alleged scheme.

Another suspect, Luka Emmanuel Butdam, was also arrested for allegedly making ransom calls to the child’s grandmother during the operation.

Following the investigation, police operatives located the child and rescued him safely. He was subsequently given medical attention before being handed over to his biological father.

The police said the investigation into the alleged staged kidnapping is continuing as detectives work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the plot and identify any other persons who may have been involved.

In a separate case, the Intelligence Response Team also arrested two suspects identified as Idris Mohammed, popularly known as Yellow, and Mohammed Adams, over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a commercial driver and other criminal activities.

According to the police, the suspects allegedly lured the driver, Idris Baba, under the pretence of conveying Mohammed from Abuja to Zaria before armed men intercepted the vehicle and took the victim into the bush.

The victim was reportedly held until a ransom of ₦3m was paid, while his 2012 Toyota Corolla was later traced to Bauchi State and recovered while one of the suspects was allegedly attempting to sell it.

Further investigations also reportedly linked the suspects to the alleged kidnapping of Pastor David Dahni and his driver, Abdullahi Abubakar, for which a ransom of ₦10.5m was said to have been paid.

The police said investigations into both cases remain ongoing, with efforts continuing to uncover the wider networks behind the alleged crimes and bring all suspects involved to justice.