Salisu Salmanu, 19, has been arrested by the Bauchi police command for conniving with three of his friends to kidnap his three-year-old stepbrother at Kofar Idi area of Bauchi metropolis and demanding for a N10 million ransom from his father.
Salmanu, who claimed to be a student of The Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, was arrested alongside Imrana Abdullahi (17), Abdullahi Mohammed (19), and Umar Musa (19).
The suspect said if their plan had succeeded, they would have used the proceeds of the criminal act to buy a car and spend the remaining amount.
Regreting his action, Salmanu blamed the act on greediness and selfishness, adding that his father, Salmanu Mohammed, who he claimed was an elder brother to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, had been taking good care of him and providing for his needs.
“Initially, when we planned the kidnap, I was advised that if we succeed in getting the N10million, we should buy a car and also have money left to be spending,” he told journalists.
“Honestly, my father meets all my needs. He pays my school fees and every other thing I need. It is just greed and selfishness which the devil put in our hearts.”
He lamented that his being in police custody had affected his academics, saying that, “I have even missed two tests in school because I am here in police custody.”
“By God’s grace, our hearts have totally changed since this is our first time of doing this, and we pray that God prevent a future re-occurrence,” he added.
Also speaking, one of Salmanu’s accomplices, Abdullahi Mohammed, said they had no intention of harming the boy.
“God loves us and that was why He didn’t give us success. We took the child not with the intention of harming him but so that we could get money from his father and release him,” he said.
