10 Year Old Kidnapped Girl Family From Jos, Cries For Justice Against Six Kidnapers
Yakubu Busari
About six suspected kidnappers on Wednesday were arraigned at Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, as family members of a kidnapped 10-year-old girl are calling for justice against a gang of six kidnappers already in the police net.
Justice M.I Gang adjourned the case to 5th November 2020 for the continuation of hearing by ordering the accused persons to remanded in the correctional center (Prison ) while the counsel to the accused persons, Barr A.M.Bello moved an application for bail.
The following kidnappers, Mr. Felix Moses, Sani Saleh, Yahaya Abubakar , Sale Yau,Ana’s Adams was arraigned over criminal conspiracy, and used of dangerous weapons for kidnapping the daughter of Adeshina Afolabi punishable under section 245 Plateau penal code law.
The prosecutor counsel Barr O.S.Osho applied that the accused persons be remanded in the correctional center but when the changes were read to the accused persons they pleaded not guilty for the offense they committed.
Spokesmen of the family, Mr. Ayo George, made the call in an interview with the Newsmen as he said George, “ we are grateful to the doggedness of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) known as Special Tasks Force (STF); who helped us tracked down and arrested the six kidnappers including our Guard,”
“When they were arrested, the STF handed them over to the Plateau Police Command for prosecution”.
“All that we want as victims of the kidnap is nothing but justice to be done against the kidnappers, who are presently being detained at the State Criminal Investigators Division (CID),” he stated.
George explained that in the night of Feb. 16, the Kidnappers stormed the house of his Elder brother in Rafiki, around Dong with an AK47 and machetes and took away his 10-Year-old Niece after collecting N231,0000 from the family.
According to him, the N231,000 was meant to be lodged in the bank the next day but the assailants, who plainly declared that they were not armed robbers but Kidnappers collected it at gunpoint.
He narrated that the kidnappers, five in numbers took away the frightened and crying innocent 10-year-old girl, only to call at about 3.00 am of Feb. 17 demanding for a ransom of N10 million without which they threatened to kill the little girl.
“But after continuous negotiation with them (kidnappers) they insisted on N1.5 million.
It took the spirited effort of friends, family members, and the body of Christ to raise the sum.
“We were asked to come to Bukuru Low-cost at 7.00 pm on that day. From there they directed us to Gero junction after Jos South Local Government Secretariat.
“From that point, they kept directing us towards Gero village where we drove like for about 20km from the junction,” he lamented
The worried George said that when they eventually met the kidnappers, they collected the N1.5m and confirmed that it was complete before showing them (Family) where to pick the girl.
He said, “They then directed us to drive further where we met our daughter (the girl) standing all alone around a Bush path beside an abandoned school.”
“But the amazing thing about the whole episode is that from the house CCTV footage, we were able to establish some suspicious behavior of our Security man, one Felix Moses, before and on the day of the kidnap.”
“We quickly invited the STF operatives, who arrested the guard for interrogation and to our chagrin, he eventually confessed to the crime.
“He said that he was promised a share of N300, 000 from the proceeds. His confession however led to the arrest of the 5 kidnappers, who surprisingly are all Fulani boys.
“When we were invited by the STF, in the course of their the investigation, we could identify them especially the one who had carried the AK47 rifle by name Anas Adam, “he affirmed.
George called on the police to ensure that the kidnappers, arrested over a month ago, are prosecuted and punished for “their act of wickedness.”
Contacted, the Plateau Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Gabriel Abuh confirmed the custody of the kidnappers and pledged their eventual prosecution.
“Since they are at the CID, more investigations are being carried out on the incident and thereafter we ensure that they face the full wrath of the Law, “ Abuh declared.
