The Nigerian Police Force has successfully apprehended a suspected kidnapper connected to the abduction and tragic murder of Nabeeha, the daughter of a Bwari-based lawyer. The arrest follows the heinous incident where bandits abducted 19 individuals from the Sagwari Estate Layout in the Dutsen-Alhaji area of the Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory.
The criminals had demanded a ransom of N700 million for nine of the victims and, unfortunately, took the lives of four hostages, including Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student of Biological Science at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and 13-year-old Folashade Ariyo. Nabeeha, along with six siblings, was kidnapped alongside their father, Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, from their residence in Zuma 1, on the outskirts of Bwari town in Abuja on January 2.
In a statement released on Sunday, the police announced the arrest of 28-year-old Bello Mohammed during a raid on a Kaduna hotel on January 20th. The suspect was found in possession of N2.25 million, suspected to be ransom money. Upon interrogation, Mohammed confessed to being part of the gang responsible for kidnapping Barrister Ariyo’s family members in Bwari on January 2nd.
The police statement revealed, “The Divisional Police Officer, Tafa Division, acting on intelligence, raided one hotel in Tafa Area, Kaduna, where he arrested Bello, with the sum of #2.25m (Two Million, two hundred and fifty million naira) only, suspected to be proceeds of ransoms collected from kidnapped victims within the area.”
Bello Mohammed further admitted to his involvement in the killing of some kidnapped victims, including Nabeeha, at a camp in Kaduna State on January 13th. During the arrest, he attempted to bribe the DPO, SP Idris Ibrahim, with a sum of N1 million, which was rejected, and the suspect was subsequently detained.
The suspect is now being transferred to the IRT in Abuja for further investigations, with the aim of apprehending other accomplices. IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun praised the DPO’s dedication and professionalism, emphasizing that the police will spare no effort in dismantling criminal networks and ensuring a more secure society for Nigerians.