FCT: Kidnapper pays N1.5 ransom to regain freedom after abduction

MOHAMMED Amodu, a member of a kidnaping gang, has been freed after paying N1,555,000 to another kidnapper, Buba Babu, according to Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba.

Parading both kidnappers alongside other criminals in Abuja today, CP Mba said Babu was notorious for kidnapping citizens on highways around Abuja.

Babu took Amodu into custody and when the kidnapped kidnapper hesitated to pay, he was shot in the arm.

Amodu, Mba said, was known as “Confirm” because he was a reputed marksman in the underworld.

“Yet he was kidnapped and held and Mohammed was released after he paid N1.55 million,” Mba said.

Amodu, who said he has been involved in more kidnap operations than he can remember, revealed he was kidnapped after supplying 90 rounds of live ammunition to Babu.

Babu was associated with Boko Haram, and he regained his freedom after paying the ransom, Amodu said.

In his confession, Amodu said there was a time his own gang kidnapped 20 victims at a time; and he had saved up to N15 million from his nefarious activities.

Babu was third in command of a kidnap syndicate headed by one Buji, who was neutralised by the police alongside the second in command. Babu took leadership of the gang and was notorious for always killing kidnap victims, according to Mba.

Babu said he broke off from Buji to form his own kidnap gang because of unfairness in sharing ransom money.

The police spokesman said Babu had a strong links with a major terror group in northern Nigeria.

Amodu said he witnessed an operation where Babu kidnapped 55 persons from a luxurious bus at a time.

Babu, who confessed he had been involved in kidnapping for three years, said he never operated within town instead, as a kingpin, he always send his boys for major operations along major roads.