Gayya Alhaji Abdu (20) and Siyyo Alhaji Amadu (21), two kidnappers, have
confessed to their crimes and come before the Taraba State hunting commanders,
claiming to have made the decision to cease kidnapping.
Gayya told Daily Trust that he participated twice in kidnapping and that in
each of the operations he got N200,000 after the victims paid N5m ransom each.
Gayya said he joined a gang of kidnappers when he learnt that he was on the
wanted lists of suspected kidnappers, noting that at the time his name was put
on the wanted lists, he never committed any crime talk less of kidnapping,
hence that he ran from his father’s house because he believed that once he was
captured he would be killed.
Gayya further stated that he ran to a friend who was already working with a
gang of kidnappers around the Jalingo, Kona and Lankabiri mountains
“It was my friend that took me to a kidnappers’ den on top of a mountain around
Kona. The gang was under the control of one kingpin called Bashe,” he explained.
“On the mountain, l met many victims because all those that were abducted would
be taken there and released after ransom is paid
“l decided to repent because l could not withstand the horror and the ways and
manners the victims were being treated, and also, l don’t want to be killed
because most of the kidnappers end up being killed by security agents or
hunters.”
He added that he wanted to be part of hunters and willfully participate in the
current fight against bandits and kidnappers in the state
Amadu on his part, said he joined a kidnapping gang on his own around
Mayo-Renewo area in Ardo-Kola LGA.
He told the publication that he participated in kidnapping many times but
decided to stop and repent
“I decided to stop kidnapping and repent because l discovered that it is a
very wicked act to abduct a fellow human being and force him to pay ransom,”
he said.
Commenting, Babangida Kwamando, the leader of the hunters, said he always
accepted bandits or kidnappers that surrender themselves to him.
He said the hunters’ association encouraged bandits and kidnappers to repent
and renounce crime.
“Before they are accepted and integrated into the hunters’ association,
kidnappers and bandits who repent are made to swear by the Holy Qur’an that
they will never commit such crimes,” he continued.
