The Police in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Monday afternoon arrested a suspected kidnapper Ibrahim Tunbow while trying to negotiate ransom using a phone belonging to a teenage boy.
The FCT Command Spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said the suspect has confessed to using the boy’s phone to make calls during interrogation.
“He also confessed to being behind some of the abductions in Yangoji, Sahda, and Killankwa. We have intensified efforts to arrest other members of his gang.”
She, however, warned residents to be mindful of allowing strangers to make calls with their mobile phones.
Tunbow was accused of using a handset to a 17-year-old boy in the Kwali FCT to negotiate and collect ransom from the relatives of a victim.
The suspect reportedly offered the teenager N30,000 if he gets the ransom, but the boy rejected the offer.
According to an anonymous resident, Tunbow threatened to kill the boy if he told anyone he uses his phone for calls.
Scared by the threat, the boy told his parents of the encounter. His parents in turn reported the matter to the police.
He said on Tuesday, “What happened was that Tunbow first asked the 17-year-old boy to allow him to use his phone to make calls that his phone was faulty. He made friends with him and subsequently started using the boy’s phone for calls, and sometimes he received calls demanding to speak with Tunbow.
“As soon as he receives the calls, he won’t be seen around for some time. Recently, he brought N30,000 and gave it to the boy. The boy asked what the money was meant for, Tunbow said it was his share out of the money he made from those calls he normally received using his phone.
“The boy refused to collect the money. He threatened to kill him if he told anyone that he uses his phone to receive and make calls. The boy was scared and explained everything that happened to his parents. The matter was reported to the police. Tunbow was arrested yesterday afternoon. ”