A leader of a kidnap ring, Abubakar Umar, aka Dogo, on Wednesday, revealed how the gang made N150million from only two operations.
The Police, while parading him, confirmed that Dogo specialized in kidnapping expatriates and that investigation was on to apprehend his colleagues.
Speaking in Abuja, Force spokesman, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), said: “Based on credible intelligence, a team of police operatives from IGP STS Minna sector, attached to Operation Puff Adder, under the command and supervision of DCP Kolo Yusuf, arrested a notorious armed bandit/kidnapping syndicate.
“The suspects are Abubakar Umar AKA Dogo Buba, Umar Mohammed, Usman Abubakar, and Shehu Mohammed at Kainji, Mariga Bangi and Tsaragi in Niger and Kwara states.
“The suspects confessed to series of kidnapping in Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and Osun states and collection of millions of naira from their victims as ransom before they release the suspect.
“He (Dogo) is a big-time kidnapper who operatives of STS arrested. The suspects within the span of the last six months has been involved in high-level kidnappings missions and in his own words, his gang has raked in well over N200 million from various kidnap operations.”
Dogo, in his confession, said: “My job is kidnapping and I operate mainly in Niger and Kebbi states. I used to go on the operation with my masters who operate in Sokoto. During one of the operations, we collected N100 million as ransom. We did another operation in Oyo and we realised N50 million.
“I participated in six kidnap operations. We kidnapped a Chinese expatriate and they paid N9 million as ransom without problem before he was released. For the one in Niger, I kidnapped and collected N4 million.
“After that, I was contacted by an informant who gave me another job and I realised N4 million. I got another job in Kebbi where we collected N1 million as ransom. Another victim we kidnapped didn’t have much and he was able to pay N500, 000 before he was released.”
