The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 31-year-old woman, Sadiya Ibrahim Umar alongside her husband, Mohammed Mohammed, for alleged conspiracy and self-kidnapping.

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement in Minna on Friday, said that the couple who are residents of Chanchaga Local Government Area of the state were arrested on July 22, in Limawa area of Minna metropolis.

According to the PPRO, Sadiya was reported to have been ”kidnapped” on July 15, on Old Airport Road in Minna after closing from work.

“On 15/07/2021 at about 1200hrs, the said Sadiya was reported to have been kidnapped by unknown person(s) having boarded a tricycle at Challenge junction, Maitumbi in Bosso Local Government Area of the State going to Old Airport road Minna after closing from work at Umar Bin Khattab International School Maitumbi,” he stated.

“On 16/07/2021, the father of the said Sadiya Ibrahim Umar was contacted by an unknown caller demanding for N5million ransom which was later reduced to N1million and was dropped at a location in Rafin-Yashi, within the council area (Bosso LGA) on the outskirts Minna for the anonymous caller

He stated further that on 21/07/2021 at about 10: 00hrs, the said Sadiya re-surfaced and was invited by the Police for questioning.

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“During interrogation by the Police, she confessed to having conspired with her husband ‘Mohammed’ the first suspect to fake her kidnap and she was taken to Nugupi village via Paiko in Paikoro Local Government Area of the state, where she was kept by her husband at his friend’s place.”

The husband also confessed to have given his mobile phone to a friend named, Abdullahi, who negotiated and collected the ransom. 

The PPRO assured that the case was still under investigation by the Police Operatives attached to the SCID, Minna, while effort is ongoing to arrest the said Abdullahi, as of the time of filing this report on Friday in Minna, adding that the suspects will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is concluded.

“This is the third of its kind in recent times where such crimes were faked, assuring that “the Police will always be on top of every situation to guarantee security of lives and properties of Nigerlites.”