The Gombe state police command has arrested a 19-year-old suspected kidnapper who abducted 7-year-old Hassan Abubakar of Kumbiya-Kumbiya Quarter for a N3.5m ransom.

The kidnapper was identified as Mohammed Ahmed of the Gabukka Quarter, Gombe metropolis and he was arrested after he returned the boy home following his father’s refusal to pay the N3.5m ransom.

It was learnt that Hassan who was kidnapped after he visited the mosque, had gone missing for 3 days before Ahmed returned him home while posing as a Good Samaritan. 

Gombe state police spokesperson, SP Mary Malum confirmed the arrest of the suspect and she further added that the suspect will be charged to court when investigation has been concluded. 

She said, “Ahmed went to the Kumbiya-Kumbiya Quarter in Gombe, where he saw the victim performing ablution in a mosque and sent him to buy sachet water for him; while on the way, he followed the boy and picked him on a motorcycle and took him to his house.

“He hid the victim for two days and thereafter demanded ransom of N3.5m from the father of the victim before he could be released. When he saw that the ransom was not forthcoming, Ahmed decided to call one Aminu Babayo, the uncle to the victim, and told him that he had seen the boy abandoned at the Gabukka Quarter.

“Aminu pleaded with him to bring the victim to his grandfather’s house at the Gabukka Quarter in order to be appreciated. While the relatives were still jubilant, the victim’s father observed that the mobile telephone number used in demanding the ransom was the same used in calling the victim’s uncle immediately alerted SARS operatives, who arrested the suspect.”