Two suspected kidnappers believed to have been terrorising communities in Ningi Local Government Area, LGA of Bauchi State, have been apprehended by local vigilantes and hunters.
The arrested kidnappers, identified as Salau and Yellow, were brought before the Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Haruna Yunusa Danyaya, at his palace in Ningi by the leadership of the vigilante and hunters’ group on Thursday.
Presenting the suspects to the Emir, the leader of the vigilantes and hunters explained that it took careful tracking and close monitoring to apprehend the suspects.
According to him, the kidnappers had recently targeted the Balma and Burra communities, where they abducted residents and demanded ransom.
He further noted that the suspects had been tormenting residents for the past three years, frequently kidnapping individuals, extorting ransoms, and in some cases, killing their victims.
One of the suspects, known as Yellow, confessed to the Emir that he, along with others, had been involved in multiple kidnappings, collecting ransoms before releasing their victims.
He revealed that they had received at least ₦60 million from their victims and operated in collaboration with informants who provided crucial information about their targets.
Yellow expressed his willingness to cooperate with authorities and help expose other members of the syndicate.
Confirming their arrest to journalists in Bauchi, the Secretary of the Ningi Emirate Council, Usman Suleh Magayaki, stated that “these criminals have tarnished our reputation with their activities over the last three years,” he said.
“They have kidnapped numerous innocent people, forcing families to pay large ransoms for their release.”
He continued, “As you can see, Allah has helped us. These brave volunteers, vigilantes, and hunters risked their lives to search the forests and capture these criminals. We are immensely grateful to them.”
Magayaki mentioned that the suspects had been handed over to security agencies for further action.
He urged the people of the Emirate to cooperate in efforts to rid the area of criminals and advised thorough vetting of strangers before allowing them to settle in any part of the community, to help identify criminals early.
When contacted for an official statement, the Spokesman of Bauchi State Police Command SP Ahmed Wakili stated that he had not yet received a formal report from the area but promised to provide details once available.