A band!t arrested by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command confessed to spending his share of ransom money on alcohol and womanizing.
The suspect, Abdulrahman Adamu, was one of eight criminals paraded by the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Tunji Disu, on October 21, 2024. Disu reported that the suspects, including Abdulrahman Giwa, Baba Hassan, Mohammed Dahiru, Abubakar Bature (aka Dayi), Abubakar Kadiri (aka Dare), Kabiru Ibrahim, Ya’u Adamu, and Hussani Ori (aka Mugu), had been involved in terrorizing communities in the FCT, as well as Kaduna and Niger states.
The police chief noted that the gang’s leader, known as Mallam, was k!lled alongside eight others in a shootout.
“All the suspects were part of a kidnapping and banditry gang led by Mallam (surname unknown), now deceased. During operations targeting the gang’s hideouts in the Kweri and Gauraka Forests, Mallam and eight others were neutralized after a fierce gunfight. Unfortunately, two officers from the FCT Command were seriously injured and are currently receiving treatment,” Disu said.
He further explained that intelligence had revealed the gang was holding hostages in several locations, including Gidan Dogo Forest in Kaduna and the Gauraka and Kweri forests in Niger and Kaduna.
Police recovered several items from the gang, including three AK-47 rifles, 100 rounds of live ammunition, and 10 AK-47 magazines. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining gang members and seize more weapons.
In an interview, Adamu admitted to making significant money from kidnappings, earning N600,000 from his last operation before being arrested.
“I got involved through a friend who is now dead. We kidnapped people for ransom, and the killings I’m accused of were carried out on my boss’s orders. My boss is dead now. From the last kidnapping, I made over N600,000,” he said.
When asked how he spent the money, Adamu replied, “I used it on drinking and spending time with women. I spent my money on womanizing and drinking.”