Yahaya is alleged to have led a gang responsible for the kidnapping and murder of seven family members of Justice Sani Sulaiman, the emir, in February 2023.
Nigerian troops have arrested Alhaji Nafi’u Yahaya, the former accountant of the Mutum Biyu Emirate Palace in the Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Yahaya is alleged to have led a gang responsible for the kidnapping and murder of seven family members of Justice Sani Sulaiman, the emir, in February 2023.
It was gathered that in February 2023, the kidnappers abducted the wives and children of the traditional ruler in his private residence in Jalingo, the state capital.
Days later, the assailants killed them.
However, Yahaya’s arrest followed the detention of a suspected kidnapper by police in Abuja, who implicated Yahaya as a supplier of AK-47 rifles to kidnappers.
A video circulating on social media shows Yahaya making a confession in which he acknowledged his collusion with kidnappers.
In the video, he disclosed that Gambo Jimeta, another resident of Mutum Biyu, helped bring in two kidnappers and supplied Yahaya with two AK-47 rifles, which were used for various criminal activities, including abductions.
Yahaya also admitted that the rifles were rented out for abduction purposes.
Yahaya said, "My name is Nafi'u Yahaya, and I am 48 years old. I have three wives and 12 children. I was arrested for being involved in kidnapping activities. I know a man named Gambo Jimeta, with whom I worked.”
"I have one AK-47, and Jimeta also has one AK-47 that we used for kidnapping," he said.