Sunday, 30 October 2022

19-year-old kidnaps self, collects N1m from father



A 19-year-old boy in Adamawa State, Israel Emmanuel, has been arrested by the police for organizing his abduction and collecting N1 million ransom from his father.

The Adamawa Police Command confirmed that it arrested Emmanuel who confessed to the self-kidnapping drama as well as two other accomplices: Fartaci Mustapha and Zakka Nuhu, both from Mubi North LGA.



A third accomplice, Abdullhamid Mohammed, is on the run from his friends and the police.

Emmanuel, who is of Mararaba Mubi, met Zakka Nuhu at the Welcome to Mubi area of Mubi town, and left for Muvir in Mubi North LGA and hid himself in the house of Fartaci Mustapha for six days while they negotiated for ransom

Fartaci Mustapha made the telephone calls to Israel’s father, telling him about the ‘abduction’ of his son.

After Fartaci introduced himself to Emmanuel as one of the kidnappers, he handed over the phone to Israel and they communicated.


Israel told the father that he had been abducted and ransom was required to get him out.

After six days in Muvir, Israel returned to Mubi and regrouped with his other accomplices and mounted pressure on his father until the father agreed to pay N1 million.

The two met with Emmanuel but it was Abdulhamid who took the money where it was kept for them.

To the dismay of the rest in the kidnapping plot, Abdulhamid declared N500, 000 only as the amount the father paid as ransom for Israel’s release.

Israel returned home with N200,000 as his share of the N500,000 loot and Abdulhamid who knew how he had betrayed his friends by keeping half of the loot to himself, promptly dropped out of sight, long before the police got onto the matter.


The other suspects were arrested following a complaint to the Adamawa State Police Command by Israel’s father, who at the time did not know that it was his son who abducted himself.

Adamawa Police spokesman SP Suleimam Nguroje, confirmed the arrest, assuring that the suspects will be charged to court.