The Niger State Police Command has apprehended nine suspects in connection with a planned self-kidnap and a demand for N7 million ransom.
The command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrests in a statement on Wednesday. He said the suspects were involved in a fraudulent Ponzi scheme and that one of their associates connived with the supposed victim to extort money from their colleagues.
According to him, “On September 2, 2025, at about 10pm, a report was received at the Tudun-Wada Division of a suspected kidnapping around the Mandela area of Minna, and also received a call from a strange phone number requesting the sum of N7m ransom.
“In the course of investigation, on 3/9/2025, one suspect, Suleiman Dauda, was arrested in connection with the crime, and based on interrogation, eight others were arrested at the Mandela area.
“During a search, 21 SIM cards and 29 SIM certificates were recovered from Suleiman, claiming that he deals in SIM card registration. He also admitted that the phone number/handset used to request ransom was given to the victim by him.”
Abiodun further explained that, “Further findings revealed that these suspects are from different locations within and outside the State engaging in a fraudulent Ponzi scheme, and it was discovered that one of their cohorts arranged with the purported victim to get ransom from their colleagues.”
He added that investigations were ongoing to apprehend other accomplices, noting that those arrested had already been charged in court.