Police arrest woman and her husband for faking her kidnap in Niger .

Niger State Police Command has arrested one Sadiya Ibrahim Umar, 31, and her 35-year-old husband, Mohammed, over alleged conspiracy and self-kidnapping.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement on Friday, said the couple was arrested on July 22, 2021, in Limawa Area of Minna.

According to him, “On 15/07/2021 at about 1200hrs, the said Sadiya was reported to have been kidnapped by unknown person(s) having boarded a tricycle at Challenge junction, Maitumbi in Bosso LGA of the State going to Old Airport road Minna after closing from work at Umar Bin Khattab International School Maitumbi.

Her father was contacted by an unknown caller demanding for N5million ransom which was later reduced to N1million and was dropped at a location in Rafin-Yashi, within the council area (Bosso LGA) on the outskirts Minna for the anonymous caller.

On 21/07/2021 at about 10: 00hrs, the said Sadiya re-surfaced and was invited by the Police for questioning. During interrogation by the Police, she confessed to having conspired with her husband ‘Mohammed’ the first suspect to fake her kidnap and she was taken to Nugupi village via Paiko, where she was kept by her husband at his friend’s place.

Her husband also confessed to have collected her phone and handed it over to one Abdullahi, his friend who negotiated and collected the ransom on his behalf.”