I’ve made over N100m from kidnapping, says herdsman in Edo
EMMANUEL OKOGBA
11 APR 2018
By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—THE Edo State Police Command, yesterday, paraded a notorious kidnapper, Muritala Umaru, who confessed to have made over N100 million from kidnapping.


Muritala Umaru notorious kidnapper in Edo paraded yesterday by the Edo state police command
Umaru, who also is a herdsman, was apprehended with an AK-47 rifle, breech number KO340119 and 10 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

The suspect disclosed that he began kidnapping four years ago in Okenne, Kogi States, and had participated in several other kidnappings across Edo State.

Muritala admitted to own some cattle and that his gang has 10 AK47 rifles with which they carry out kidnapping.



Confession

He confessed that one “big man we call Chief in one community is the one that always gave us identities of victims before we strike.”

The suspected kidnapper said they realized N10 million from one of their victims, even as he pledged to cooperate with the Police.

On what happened to some of their victims, he said it was his boss that is responsible for the killing of their victims, when they refuse to cooperate.

His words: “I am married. I stay in Auchi, but I was born in Lokoja, Kogi State. I am into kidnapping. I have been into kidnapping for four years. I started in Lokoja. I have kidnapped over 50 persons.

“We kidnap them when they are travelling. There is one man that used to give us target. I collected N3 million in our last work. It is my oga that kill people. He has killed many people. We operate in Auchi, Ekpoma, Okenne and other places.



Police Commissioner

Edo State Police Commissioner, Babatunde Kokumo, described him as a kidnapper, who disguised as one of the herdsmen.

“The man has been in and out of prison. He has kidnapped in Edo and other states. The prison official he kidnapped identified him.”

Meanwhile, a welder who was on Monday rescued from kidnappers den at Afuze in Owan East local government, Mr. Idirisu Mohammed, has identified an herdsman, Abubakar Ilyasu as one of his abductors.

Mr. Idirisu said Abubakar was sent by his abductors to buy food for them from town while they remained in the bush.

“This one that was nabbed was sent to buy food. Before he came, the rescued team has arrived and the food was with him.”