How K!dnappers K!lled 15-Year-Old Boy After N70m Rans0m Payment Following Dispute Over His Handover –Family

How Kidnappers Killed 15-Year-Old Boy After N70m Ransom Payment Following Dispute Over His Handover –Family

According to Moba, the family first became concerned after Umar left home between 11am and noon and failed to return.

The family of 15-year-old Umar Sa’adu Moba, a resident of Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, has narrated how suspected terrorists killed him despite the payment of ₦70 million ransom to secure his release.

The family said Umar was abducted alongside three other young men after leaving home, with the abductors initially demanding ₦200 million, five motorcycles and 10 mobile phones before negotiations led to a reduction in the ransom.

Alhaji Sanusi Moba, Umar’s paternal uncle, recounted the ordeal in Hausa during an interview seen by SaharaReporters, describing the circumstances surrounding the abduction, the ransom negotiations, the family’s efforts to secure his release and the devastating news that he had been killed.

According to Moba, the family first became concerned after Umar left home between 11am and noon and failed to return.

He said attempts to reach Umar on his telephone were unsuccessful, prompting the family to report the matter to the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant authorities.

“As for what we can tell people about this incident, it is something that happened to us under very difficult, complicated and distressing circumstances. When it happened, we contacted everyone and every authority that was relevant, but nobody could tell us exactly what had happened,” he said.

“What happened was that the boy left that day, sometime between 11 and 12, and spent the night without returning. We could not reach him on his phone.

“So, from that moment, we reported the matter to the police, the DSS and the relevant authorities. For about three days, investigations were ongoing to find out who had taken him.

“Whatever information we could obtain about where he was or what condition he was in, we wanted to know.

“We did not have that peace until his phone was traced and it was discovered that he had been taken into a forest, towards a certain location, after which his phone was switched off.

“That made us realise that he was indeed in the hands of people in the forest, because the tracing showed that he had been taken into the forest.”

Asked whether the family had any information about how Umar was abducted, Moba said they did not know exactly how the incident occurred.

He explained that the tracing of the telephone and identification of the location where the phone had been taken were handled by security personnel responsible for such operations.

“They were able to determine the location of the phone,” he said.

Kidnappers Initially Demanded ₦200m

Moba said the abductors initially demanded ₦200 million, in addition to five motorcycles and 10 mobile phones.

He said negotiations were subsequently held with the abductors, resulting in a reduction of the ransom.

“Initially, they demanded 200 million, along with five motorcycles and ten mobile phones. Negotiations continued, and eventually they reduced the demand. We eventually agreed that there was no other option and that we should pay a reduced amount,” he said.

Asked whether the money was eventually paid, Moba confirmed that the family paid N70 million ransom.

“Yes, that money was paid,” he said.

However, according to him, the family encountered further complications when they travelled to the location where the ransom was supposed to be delivered.

He said a resident of the village became suspicious of them and raised an alarm, resulting in problems between the family and people in the area.

“One of the people from the village apparently became suspicious of us and reported that there was something suspicious involving us. Because of that, they did not trust our vehicle,” he said.

“The kidnappers then told us to park the vehicle and make the necessary arrangements so that they could bring the boy. But when we arrived, the local people caused problems for us, treating us as if we were terrorists.

“So, while we were having this disagreement with the people, the kidnappers called us. We told them to wait while we dealt with the situation, but we could not continue communicating with them properly.

“They later called us again, but after that we kept trying to reach them without success.

“We eventually went to the place where these people were and encountered another problem. We explained that we had come with ransom money and that we had not brought weapons or anything else.

“Because of this, another argument arose. We remained there waiting. We spent the night there and, after completing the necessary arrangements to deliver the money, we eventually left.

“They did not call us again. The only thing we later received was information concerning the person.”

 

Family Says Umar Was Killed After Disagreement

Asked who the family believed was responsible for Umar’s death, Moba said information gathered during their investigation suggested that the abductors claimed they had handed Umar over.

“They were even insisting in our presence that they had given the boy to us,” he said.

Moba said people in the forest also claimed that Umar had been handed over, while people from Jibia were reportedly saying they knew where he was supposed to be taken because he was from the area.

“The people in the forest said that they had handed the boy over to us. They were also blaming one another, saying that they had handed him over and that we should take the boy away.

“The people from Jibiya were also saying that they knew where he was supposed to be taken because he was from the area. Eventually, a disagreement arose between them, and they killed him themselves,” he said.

Asked to clarify the number of abducted persons involved, Moba said there were four young men in total.

“There were four of them,” he said.

When asked what happened after the disagreement, Moba replied: “After the disagreement, they killed the boy.”

He added that some of the other abducted victims remained in the hands of people in the forest.

Moba, while addressing parents and members of the public, urged families to remain vigilant and to pay close attention to the people their children associate with.

He said Umar’s case was partly connected to the trust he placed in someone who, at first, did not appear to pose any danger to him.

“The person who took him from his home did not initially appear to be someone who would harm him,” he said.

“He did not even imagine that he would hurt him. He went with him believing that they were simply going to have a conversation.

“But after that, things changed. He started insulting him and saying things to him. From that point, the situation changed, and it became clear that they had targeted him and planned to take him away.

“Therefore, I am calling on everyone to keep a close eye on their children and know who they allow to interact with them and what kind of relationship they have with them, because this is a serious problem that has affected our lives.”

 

Family Appeals To Government Over Insecurity

Moba also appealed to the government to intensify efforts to protect citizens and prevent abductees from being killed even after their families have made efforts to secure their release.

He said the protection of lives and property remains the responsibility of the government.

“Whenever such incidents occur, the government should do everything within its power to ensure that the lives of the people affected are not lost,” he said.

 

“That is my appeal to the government.”