Witness: Suspected kidnapper arrested after ₦1m ransom
On Wednesday, Mr. Tunde Afolabi, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Oyo State Command, testified before the Federal High Court in Ibadan regarding the arrest of a suspected kidnapper, Ali Mohammed.
Afolabi revealed how his team apprehended Mohammed after he received a ₦1 million ransom from the victim.
According to the journalists, Afolabi was giving evidence in the trial of Mohammed, who is facing charges of terrorism, along with others who remain at large.
Afolabi explained that in February 2024, the DSS received a distress call about the abduction of Ibrahim Ojo, who had been kidnapped by a group of criminals in the Iwajowa area of Oke-Ogun, Oyo State. Afolabi and his team quickly sprang into action to investigate the kidnapping.
During the investigation, they discovered that the kidnappers had used a new tactic, allowing Mohammed to move to Kogi State. It was there that Mohammed initiated contact with Ojo’s family, leading them to transfer the ransom money of ₦1 million to him via his Infinix Android phone. The payment was made using a Glo phone number: 09055244538.
Mohammed had also provided his UBA account number, 2137984369, under his name, Ali Mohammed, to facilitate the transfer. After receiving the ₦1 million, the suspect destroyed his SIM card in an attempt to avoid detection and prosecution.
Afolabi further testified that a technical analysis of the phone eventually led to Mohammed’s arrest in Kogi. He presented the certified true copies of Mohammed’s confessional statement, made in both English and Hausa, as evidence before the court.
The defense counsel, Mr. Bolade Amos, did not object to the confessional statement, as his client had admitted his involvement in the kidnapping and ransom receipt.
In response, Justice Uche Agomoh advised the defense lawyer to counsel his client on the seriousness of the offense and warned the defendant about the consequences of lying to the court. The judge emphasized that kidnapping is a grave crime under Nigerian law.
The case was adjourned until January 29 for the continuation of the trial. Mohammed has been facing a two-count charge of kidnapping and ransom-taking since August 2024.
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