At least two repented kidnappers have presented themselves to the leaders of hunters in Taraba State, to willfully participate in the current fight against bandits and kidnappers in the state.
No fewer than forty-nine kidnap victims had been rescued from the kidnappers’ enclave in Gongomaliki Mountain in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Their rescue is a sequel to a joint effort between the police, professional hunters, and vigilante groups who acted on intelligence gathering.
The team also succeeded in arresting ten kidnappers in the Mallum and Kasuwan Ladi area of Ardo-Kola LGA. Some of the kidnappers were arrested in the process of purchasing food items.
However, the two of the kidnappers asserted that they wanted to be part of hunters noting that they decided on their own to stop kidnapping.
Two kidnappers, are Gayya Alhaji Abdu (20) and Siyyo Alhaji Amadu (21), have
One of the kidnappers said he decided to repent because he could not withstand the horror and the ways and manners the victims were being treated. He also said that he did not want to be killed because most of the kidnappers end up being killed by security agents or hunters.
Gayya told City & Crime that he participated twice in kidnapping and that in each of the operations, he got N200,000 after the victims paid a ransom of N5 million each.
Gayya explained that he joined a gang of kidnappers when he learnt that he was on the police wanted list, noting that at the time his name was put on the list, he had not committed any crime let alone kidnap anyone.
He said he fled his father’s house because he believed that once he was captured, he would be killed.
He said, “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.
“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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, the leader of the hunters, Babangida Kwamando, in his response, said he always accepted bandits or kidnappers who surrendered themselves to him.
He added that the hunters’ association encouraged bandits and kidnappers to repent and renounce crime.
He further said, “Kidnappers and bandits that repent are made to swear by the Holy Qur’an that they will never commit such crimes before they are accepted and integrated into the hunters’ association.”