Two-year-old rescued as police uncover alleged N15m staged kidnapping plot

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested several suspects over an alleged staged kidnapping involving a two-year-old child in Plateau State and rescued the child after investigators uncovered a ransom scheme allegedly involving people known to the family.

The arrests were made by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) during an intelligence-led investigation into kidnapping and other criminal activities.

In the case involving the child, police identified a 34-year-old suspect, Nansik Wuyep Sule, who was arrested over the reported abduction of two-year-old Rito Jesse Davou.

According to the police, preliminary investigations indicated that the alleged kidnapping may have been deliberately staged to create the impression that the child had been abducted by unknown criminals.

Investigators alleged that Sule worked with the child’s biological mother, Catherine Davou, as part of the scheme.

Police said the alleged plan initially involved a N7 million ransom demand, which was later increased to N15 million.

As investigators intensified their efforts to locate the child, they reportedly discovered information indicating that the two-year-old was being kept at Sule’s residence.

Another suspect, Luka Emmanuel Butdam, was also arrested over allegations that he made ransom-related calls to the child’s grandmother.

Police operatives subsequently located the child and rescued him safely.

The rescued child was reportedly given medical attention before being reunited with his biological father.

The investigation is continuing as police seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged staged abduction and determine whether other individuals were involved.

The case highlights the complexities investigators can face in kidnapping investigations, particularly where alleged ransom demands are made by individuals who may have prior knowledge of the victim or family.

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Police investigate separate kidnapping and robbery cases

In a separate investigation, the IRT also arrested Idris Mohammed, popularly known as Yellow, and Mohammed Bello Adams over their alleged involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery.

According to the police, the suspects allegedly targeted a commercial driver, Idris Zakari Baba, after arranging for him to transport Mohammed from Abuja to Zaria.

Investigators alleged that the driver was intercepted by armed men after picking up Mohammed and was taken into the bush, where he was held until a N3 million ransom was reportedly paid.

The victim’s 2012 Toyota Corolla was later traced to Bauchi State and recovered while Mohammed was allegedly attempting to sell the vehicle.

Further investigation allegedly linked the suspects to another kidnapping case involving Pastor David Dahni and his driver, Abdullahi Abubakar.

Police said a ransom of approximately N10.5 million was reportedly paid in connection with that incident.

The Force said investigations into the cases remain ongoing, with operatives working to identify other suspects and establish the full extent of the alleged criminal activities.

The latest arrests form part of ongoing efforts by the Nigeria Police Force to disrupt kidnapping networks, investigate ransom-related offences and recover property allegedly taken during criminal operations.

Police have continued to encourage members of the public to provide credible information that could help security agencies prevent kidnappings and identify suspected criminal networks.

The suspects remain under investigation, and allegations against them have not been finally determined by a court. Any prosecution will be subject to the outcome of the investigation and the decision of the relevant prosecuting authorities.

Two-year-old rescued as police uncover alleged N15m staged kidnapping plot

EFCC secures jail terms for two fraudsters as Lagos court orders asset forfeiture

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced two men, Agboola Abdullahi Abiodun and Victor Okonjo, for offences involving money laundering, cybercrime and fraudulent impersonation.

The convictions were secured by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice F.N. Ogazi.

The two men were separately arraigned before the court and pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.

Abiodun faced a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and related offences. One of the allegations involved disguising proceeds from a dating scam through the purchase of a black Toyota Venza.

The offence was prosecuted under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, with the prosecution alleging that Abiodun dealt with proceeds linked to unlawful activity in a manner intended to conceal their origin.

Okonjo was separately arraigned on a two-count charge involving cybercrime and fraudulent impersonation.

One of the counts alleged that Okonjo fraudulently impersonated Aaron Bauer, identified in the charge as a male citizen of the United States, with the intention of obtaining an advantage for himself.

The allegation was brought under provisions of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.

After the charges were read to the defendants, both men entered guilty pleas before the court.

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Following their pleas, EFCC prosecutor F.B. Orilade reviewed the facts of the cases and presented the prosecution’s evidence. He subsequently urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants according to the law.

Justice Ogazi, after considering the facts presented before the court and the defendants’ pleas, convicted both men and imposed separate sentences.

Abiodun was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on count one, while he received one year each on counts two and three.

Okonjo, meanwhile, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with an option of a ₦500,000 fine on count one and four years’ imprisonment on count two.

The court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, meaning the terms would not be added together to create separate consecutive prison periods.

The sentences were also ordered to take effect from the dates of the defendants’ arrests.

In addition to the prison sentences, the court ordered the forfeiture of the convicts’ mobile phones, laptops and vehicles.

The items listed in the forfeiture order include a Toyota Venza and a 2020 Mercedes-Benz.

Justice Ogazi directed that the forfeited assets should be sold and that the proceeds should be used to compensate the victims of the offences where the victims can be identified and traced.

Where the victims cannot be traced, the court ordered that the proceeds from the sale of the assets should be paid into the coffers of the Federal Government.

The judgment underscores the financial consequences that can accompany convictions for online fraud, money laundering and fraudulent impersonation, particularly where proceeds of alleged criminal activity are converted into valuable assets.

In Abiodun’s case, the prosecution linked the alleged laundering offence to proceeds from a dating scam and the purchase of a Toyota Venza.

Okonjo’s conviction, meanwhile, centred on the alleged fraudulent use of another person’s identity for personal advantage.

The case is also part of the broader efforts by the EFCC to prosecute suspected internet fraud and financial crime cases and recover assets linked to criminal offences.

With the court’s orders, the forfeited vehicles and electronic devices are to be disposed of in accordance with the judgment, with priority given to compensating identifiable victims.

The convictions bring the proceedings against the two defendants at the trial court to a close, subject to any further legal steps available to them under Nigerian law.

EFCC secures jail terms for two fraudsters as Lagos court orders asset forfeiture

My love for my wife affected my work, earnings — Husband begs court to save marriage

A Kaduna man and father of two, Aminu Kabiru, has told a Shari’a Court that his intense love for his estranged wife affected his ability to concentrate on his work and earn enough to provide for their family.

Kabiru made the unusual claim while responding to his wife’s application for divorce through Khul’i proceedings before the Shari’a Court in Kaduna State.

The husband told the court that his affection for his wife was so overwhelming that it distracted him from his work and affected his earning capacity.

“I could not provide enough for my family because of the intense love I have for my wife,” Kabiru told the court.

He appealed to the court to give the couple more time to reconcile, arguing that their marriage should be saved for the sake of their two young children.

Kabiru urged the court to consider the welfare of the children, who are both below the age of two.

The husband’s plea came after his wife, through her lawyer, Abubakar Jibril, made it clear that she no longer wanted to remain in the marriage.

Jibril told the court that his client had been living at her parents’ home for approximately eight months, claiming that she had not received adequate care and support from her husband during that period.

The lawyer said the couple married in 2024 and have two children together.

He told the court that their first child is 16 months old, while their second child is only two months old.

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Despite her husband’s request for reconciliation, the woman maintained that she had made up her mind to end the marriage.

Her lawyer also informed the court that she was prepared to return the N100,000 dowry she received from Kabiru as part of her request to dissolve the marriage.

“The complainant is no longer interested in the marriage and is ready to return the dowry she received,” Jibril told the court.

The issue of the dowry prompted the presiding judge, Malam Mu’awiya Shehu, to seek clarification on the amount involved.

Kabiru confirmed that the dowry was N100,000, but argued that the amount did not reflect the total expenses he had incurred for his wife before their wedding.

The husband told the court that he had spent substantially more than the dowry amount on his wife before they got married and asked that those expenses be considered in the proceedings.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case to enable Kabiru to provide details of the expenses he claimed to have incurred.

The adjournment means the court will have an opportunity to examine the husband’s financial claims before determining the next stage of the divorce case.

The proceedings have placed the couple’s disagreement over their marriage, financial responsibilities and reconciliation efforts before the court, with both sides maintaining different positions on whether the union should continue.

While Kabiru is asking for more time to repair the relationship and keep the family together, his wife has maintained through her counsel that she no longer wishes to remain in the marriage.

The welfare of their two young children is also central to the husband’s appeal for reconciliation.

The case will resume after the husband submits the details of the expenses he says he incurred before the marriage. The court will then consider the claims before deciding how to proceed with the woman’s Khul’i divorce application.

My love for my wife affected my work, earnings — Husband begs court to save marriage