By Folayimika Akanbi
Two foreign nationals, Yakubu Ismaila and Hadiza Kosia, are undergoing interrogation in the custody of the Kwara State Police Command over their involvement in the attempted kidnapping in Okuta, Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
Police operatives swooped on Ismaila and Kosia, both of Republic of Togo, after one S. Ismaila reported to the Okuta Division of the force that the suspects threatened to kidnap him and kill his brother, one Musa Ismaila, if he failed to pay them a sum of N22,000,000.
It was learnt that the police team picked up the suspects and retrieved a mobile handset telephone used to allegedly threaten the victim.
The spokesperson of the state police command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday, confirmed the incident, saying that the two foreign nationals had confessed to the crime.
In the statement titled “Kwara police command foils kidnapping plot, arrests two foreign nationals, recovers exhibit,” the police said preliminary investigation showed that the suspects were directly linked to the criminal conspiracy.
It quoted the state Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo, to have assured residents that investigations have been intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal network and vowed to bring them to justice.
The statement urged members of the public to remain security conscious and continue to provide timely, credible, and actionable information to the Police, as public cooperation remains indispensable in sustaining the prevailing peace and security across the state.
It reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the command to intelligence-led policing and the relentless pursuit of criminal elements operating within or attempting to infiltrate the state.
“In furtherance of the strategic policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, the Kwara State Police Command has recorded another major operational breakthrough with the successful disruption of a planned kidnapping and extortion scheme, leading to the arrest of two foreign nationals and the recovery of the mobile phone allegedly used in perpetrating the criminal act.
”The operation followed a report received at the Okuta Police Division from one S. Ismaila of Okuta, who reported that he had received a series of threatening telephone calls from an anonymous caller, demanding the sum of Twenty-Two Million Naira (₦22,000,000.00) to avert his planned abduction.
The suspect further threatened to kidnap the complainant and murder his younger brother, Musa Ismaila, should the demand not be met.
”Upon receipt of the report, police operatives immediately activated intelligence-driven operational strategies. In collaboration with the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and leveraging technical support, operatives swiftly tracked and arrested two suspects identified as Yakubu Ismaila (M) and Hadiza Kosia (F), both nationals of the Republic of Togo.
”Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were directly linked to the criminal conspiracy. During interrogation, both suspects confessed to their involvement in the attempted kidnapping and extortion plot. A mobile phone used to issue the threatening calls was recovered from one of the suspects and has been taken into police custody as a critical exhibit.
”The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, CP Ojo Adekimi, commended the professionalism, prompt response, and coordinated efforts of the operatives whose swift action prevented what could have resulted in a serious security breach,” the statement added.
END.
