A 37-year-old kidnap for ransom suspect, Bello Mohammed, has revealed how they kidnap a businessman and how they get high on Tramadol and marijuana before any operation.
The suspect who was recently arrested by operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT), revealed that his gang spent a huge part of the proceed of crime on the purchase of such drugs.
The father of eight also stated that such drugs were also given to kidnap victims to enable them trek long distances in the forest.
Mohammed whose gang is alleged to be involved in the kidnap and murder of one Osondu Nwachukwu, a successful business man who owns a pure water factory in Lafia, Nasarawa state, told operatives his brother-in-law lured him into crime.
Daily Times gathered that although Mohammed’s gang had demanded N5million ransom, they however killed the victim before his family could raise the said amount.
A police source who spoke on the arrest said: “Mr. Osondu Nwachukwu was kidnapped from his house. They called his wife and demanded N5million. Since she was not able to raise the money, she borrowed from friends and relatives.
But by the time she could get across to the suspects, they had butchered him and put him in a sack.
“When they were about to dispose the corpse, Fulani herdsmen that were going to the mosque to pray saw them pushing something in a truck. They asked them what they were carrying, but they ran away. The herdsmen saw the corpse of the Igbo man and reported the matter.
“IRT was called to investigate and while acting on credible intelligence, they were able to arrest one Bello Mohammed, a native of Agyeregu Tasha in Lafia LGA, Nasarawa on March 11. He confessed to the crime and said that he is part of notorious kidnapping and cattle rustling gang.
“He identified other gang members as Maikano, Dogo, Hassan and Jubril. He confessed to the police that it was an Igbo man in Lafia that brought the job to kidnap Osondu Nwachukwu, an Igbo trader who resides along Tudun Kauri, Makurdi road Lafia on September 30, 2019.
“They decided to kill him when the family was not willing to pay ransom on time and dumped his body in a bush at Bukan Koto along Makurdi Maraba-Ankunza road, Lafia.”
In his confessional statement, Mohammed said it was his first time as kidnapper, alleging economic challenges as a father of eight led him into crime.
He said: “Things are hard for me as a farmer, It was my brother in-law Dogo who encouraged me to join them. He was the one that took me for the first job.
“On the kidnap of the Igbo man, it was another Igbo man that brought the job, He told us that that the man own a pure water business and very stingy.
He assured us that the man will pay at least N10million because he is rich. He gave us all the details about his movement and that the best place to pick him up will be his house.
“We went with three motor bikes about 8.30pm and hanged around close to his compound. Meanwhile one of us waited for him at the factory area and followed him home.
He was the one who alerted us that they were on the way to the house. As soon as he drove into his compound around 9p.m. we followed him and over powered him.
We searched his house for valuables and dragged him along. We carried him on our bike and threatening to kill him if he dares to raise an alarm.
“When we got to a spot, we stopped and trekked for hours into Bukan Koto forest in Lafia.
Inside that forest, there are plenty Fulani farmers living with their wives and children. Dogo has a small hut, that we used to keep our victims. We called the man’s wife to bring N5million and she said that it was weekend.
While at the hideout, the Igbo man who gave us the job called and we told him the situation of things. He said that the wife was lying and not serious to save the life of her husband.
“Unfortunately, the man overheard our conversation and was able to identify the person that gave us the job.
The man told us to kill him after collecting the money. We were ready to spare him but his wife was not making any serious effort.
So Dogo got angry and said that he was no longer interested in the job. The man begged him but Dogo was too angry and before we could hold him, he used his matchet and cut off the man’s head.
“Since he was already dead, Dogo butchered him into pieces and packed him in a sack. I and two others were given the body to go and dispose it at the nearest river. We tried to dig the ground and bury him; but in a second thought, we felt the people might notice.
“We used a wheel barrow to carry the butchered body at about 7p.m. on Sunday. We were stopped by some Fulani men who were coming back from the Mosque. We all left the corpse and ran away. I guess they were the ones who reported the matter to the police,” Mohammed said.
He further advised the government to arrest and punish kidnap kingpins, as they are regularly recruiting new members, hence the increasing rate of kidnapping..
“This is the first time that I joined them for a kidnap operation. The highest that I have made from kidnapping is N1.3million and that was gotten through cattle rustling. We stole about 1400 cattle and sold them.
The only way to stop kidnapping is to arrest the kingpins and punish them, because they are recruiting boys regularly to replace the ones that were killed or arrested.
“I take Tramadol and marijuana every day and these drugs are expensive. We now have 25mil of Tramadol which is stronger. Everyone takes it and we give it to the person that we kidnap, so that they will have strength to trek for hours into the bush.
Normally after every successful kidnap operation, we will remove money for hard drug which Dogo will use and buy plenty drugs for us that will last for at least 2 weeks before we do another job,” he said.
Wife of the deceased, Mrs Nwachukwu, described the killing of her husband as painful and a huge loss to the family.
The mother of six said the suspects had requested for N40 million ransom. She said: “I was at home when kidnappers stormed our house and abducted my husband. Later in the night I received a call that I should bring N40million if I wanted to see my husband alive. I pleaded with them to have mercy as it was Friday and banks had closed.
“They asked me how much I had and I told them N40,000. They asked me to bring the money which I did that night. We were waiting when I received a call from them that I should not bother as my husband is dead.
I was told that the person that arranged his kidnap is from the east but I do not suspect anyone at all. God will punish the person behind my husband’s kidnap and death.”