Police arrests 12-year-old for alleged kidnap of minor in Bauchi

Police operatives in Bauchi have arrested a 12-year-old boy for allegedly kidnapping a three-year-old girl in the state.

The spokesman for the state police command, Ahmad Wakil, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday.

He said the 12-year-old kidnapped the baby in the Magama Gumau community of Toro Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, the suspect lured the child to an isolated area, placed a telephone call to her father, and demanded N150,000 ransom for the victim’s release.

The spokesman said: “A discreet investigation revealed that the suspect lured the victim to an isolated place near a football field at Kara Area of Magama Gumau and called the victim’s father on phone and made the demand.

“On hearing the demand, the victim’s father hung up and refused to take subsequent calls.

“After a while, the victim’s father called the suspect and identified him through his familiar voice.

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“He called his name, but the suspect kept mute, hung up, swiftly took the girl to her parent’s house where he told the family that he sighted her crying near a football field.”

Wakil added that the victim’s family immediately reported the suspect to the police for necessary action.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and said he would have used the ransom money to buy clothes and phones.

“Investigation also showed that the suspect got to know about kidnapping for ransom when some time ago, his friend was kidnapped in Kano State.

“Those who kidnapped his friend were paid ransom before he was released and that was how the suspect learned that money must be paid to set a kidnap victim free,’’ he added.

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