A Junior Secondary School student identified as Anoubakar Abdulbashir has been arrested by the Katsina state police over the alleged kidnap of his four-year-old cousin.
The 16-year-old student kept his cousin ib an uncompleted building in Maraba Kankara town in the Malumfashi LGA of the state
Police reported that a woman who knew of the disappearance of the four-year-old girl was passing by the uncompleted building in the area when she saw the missing girl in the company of Abdulbasir.
The woman questioned Abdulbasir and asked what he was doing with the gurl. He claimed they were just chatting.
She then decided to take the girl home.
After narrating the encounter to her parents, the father immediately reported the case at the Malumfashi Police Station, and Abdulbasir’s father was invited for questioning concerning the whereabouts of his son.
When Abdulbasirlater returned to the house he learned his father was invited by the police and was being questioned over his whereabouts. Abdulbasir then decided to turn himself in and confessed to committing the crime.
When interrogated, the suspect said
''Yes, it is true that I kidnapped Halima, my cousin. I hid her in an uncompleted building outskirt of town and then put a phone call through to her parents demanding for N70,000.
I also threatened that they may lose her if they fall to provide the money. Immediately, I terminated the call, my conscience pricked me that this path I have toed is dangerous and against my religion. I am very sorry for my action. I am asking for forgiveness. I have realized my mistakes.”
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Superintendent of Police, SP Isah Gambo, said:
“One Sanusi Abubakar of Marabar-Kankara village in Malumfashi LGA reported to the police that since his 4-years-old daughter, Halimatu Sanusi got missing and all efforts to trace her whereabouts proved abortive.
He later received a phone call that his daughter has been kidnapped, and he is being threatened to pay the sum of seventy thousand naira (N70,000) or risk losing her.
Subsequently, the Police Anti-Kidnapping unit, swung into action, carrying out a diligent and meticulous investigation which led to the arrest of the mastermind, one Abubakar Abdulbasir, ‘M’, aged 16yrs of Marabar-Kankara village. In the course of the investigation, the suspect confessed to the commission of the offense.”
