The police have arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly hiring kidnappers to abduct and kill a large-scale farmer in Zawudna village, Munya Local Government Area. The suspect is also accused of taking over the land of the deceased farmer.
The police said Godwin Yahaya was arrested after some victims, who were rescued from kidnapping, claimed he worked with the kidnappers to take Jonah Isah and others for ransom.
In a crime bulletin released on Saturday, October 10, Police Public Relations Officer Wasiu Abiodun shared that officers from the State Security Service (SSS) arrested Yahaya on September 27. They handed him over to the Sarkin-Pawa Police Division for further investigation.
The police reported that during questioning, Yahaya admitted he hired a man named Bashiru, who is still on the run, back in 2024 to abduct Isah. They planned to demand ransom and split the money.
The police said the operation did not happen until June 26, 2026, when Bashiru and his gang attacked Zawudna village around midnight.
The attackers broke into Isah's home, killed him, and kidnapped his family members along with three others. They later demanded a ransom of N2.1 million for the release of the victims.
The victims, after being freed, told the police their captors mentioned Yahaya as the one who hired them for the job. This information helped the police in their investigation.
Further police work revealed that after Isah's death, Yahaya allegedly took over his farmland for his own use.
Currently, Yahaya is being investigated at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna. The police are also working to capture Bashiru and other suspected gang members.
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