A 19-year-old Accountancy student of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Salisu Salmanu, has been arrested after he connived with seven others to kidnap his three-year-old step-brother, at Kofar Idi area of the state.
In his confession to the police, Salmanu said he wanted to use the N10 million ransom his gang demanded from his father to buy a car.
Paraded alongside Salmanu at the state Police Command Headquarters were his friends and gang members, Imrana Abdullahi (17), Abdullahi Mohammed (19) and Umar Musa (19).
Salmanu lamented his involvement in the crime, saying that greed and selfishness were responsible for his action, as his father, Salmanu Mohammed, the elder brother to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, had been taking good care of him and providing for his needs, though there were times he could not meet some of the needs.
Hear him:
“Initially, when we planned the kidnap, I was advised that if we succeeded in getting N10 million, we would buy a car and also have money left to spend. I know that if I demanded such money from my father, he would refuse because he would tell me he has three wives and would have to cater for other children.
So, I planned with my friends to kidnap my step-brother, who is three years old, with the intention that my friends would call him and demand for ransom, after which I would collect my own share if paid.
Honestly, my father meets my needs. He pays my school fees and every other thing I need. It is just greed and selfishness which the devil put in our hearts that led me into this.”
