A 21-year-old kidnapper, Auwal Abdulrasheed, who was arrested by the Kano State Police command has narrated how he abducted, killed a 13-year-old female hawker and demanded N1m ransom from her family after burying her body in a shallow grave. 

Spokesman of the command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, said the suspect was arrested on January 9. 

The PPRO said that on July 21, 2021, the case of a missing 13-year- old girl named Zuwaira was reported to the police.

“On the 21/06/2021 at about 1000hrs, a report was received from a resident of Tofa Town, Tofa LGA, Kano State that his daughter, Zuwaira, ‘f’, 13 years old, was kidnapped and a ransom of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) was demanded and later settled at Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000.00). While negotiating for the ransom, the body of the victim was discovered in an uncompleted building, slaughtered and buried in a shallow grave,” the statement reads. 

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“On receipt of the ugly report, scene was visited, the body was exhumed, examined and confirmed dead by a Medical Doctor and released to the relatives for burial according to Islamic rites.

The Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi immediately raised and instructed a team of Operation Puff Adder led by SP Shehu Dahiru to arrest the culprits.

“The Puff Adder team swung into action. Sustained efforts and prolonged follow-up led to the arrest of one Auwalu Abdulrashid, alias Lauje, ‘m’, 21 years old, of Tofa Town, Tofa LGA, Kano State at Dan marke village, Dambatta LGA, Kano State on the 09/01/2022, i.e. 202 days after the incident.

“On preliminary investigation, the suspect confessed that, he singlehandedly kidnapped the victim, deceived and took her to an uncompleted building located at Tofa Town, Tofa LGA, Kano State, where he strangled her with her Hijab used knife to slaughtered her throat and buried her in a shallow grave, and then demanded a ransom of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) and later settled at Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000.00)”

“The suspect further confessed that, on the 07/06/2021, he kidnapped a younger brother of the victim, one Muttaka, ‘m’, 3 years old at Tofa Town, Tofa LGA, Kano State, demanded a ransom of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00), later settled and collected One Hundred Thousand Naira (100,000.00) and abandoned the child at Dawanau Special Primary School, Dawakin Tofa LGA, Kano State.” 

The spokesperson then disclosed that the police investigations into the case have been concluded, adding that the suspect will soon be charged to court for prosecution.