Police say a 34-year-old man allegedly conspired with a toddler’s mother to stage the abduction and demand up to N15m in ransom

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 34-year-old Nansik Wuyep Sule over the alleged staged kidnapping of two-year-old Rito Jesse Davou, after investigators reportedly uncovered a scheme involving the child’s biological mother and ransom demands totalling as much as N15m.

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The police said operatives of the Intelligence Response Team made the arrest during an intelligence-led investigation into the reported abduction of Rito, who was subsequently found alive and reunited with his biological father after receiving medical attention.

The development was disclosed on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, in a statement shared on the Nigeria Police Force’s official X account.

According to the police, investigators discovered that Sule allegedly worked with the child’s mother, Catherine Davou, to create the impression that Rito had been abducted.

The alleged scheme initially involved a ransom demand of N7m.

Police said further investigation revealed that Rito had allegedly been kept at Sule’s residence, where the ransom demand was subsequently increased to N15m.

Another suspect, identified as Luka Emmanuel Butdam, was also arrested over allegations that he made calls to Rito’s grandmother concerning the ransom.

The police said the toddler was eventually located and safely rescued.

After receiving medical attention, Rito was handed over to his biological father, bringing a potentially devastating incident to a safer conclusion.

The case illustrates the increasingly complex nature of kidnapping investigations, particularly where investigators suspect that people known to a victim may have played a role in creating or facilitating an alleged abduction.

The police have not disclosed the circumstances that allegedly motivated the child’s mother or the other suspects, nor have the suspects’ responses to the allegations been made public.

In a separate investigation, the Intelligence Response Team also arrested two men, Idris Mohammed, popularly known as Yellow, and Mohammed Adams, over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a commercial driver and other criminal activities.

According to the police, investigators linked Mohammed to the alleged abduction of commercial driver Idris Baba.

Police said Baba was allegedly lured under the pretext of transporting Mohammed from Abuja to Zaria before armed men intercepted the vehicle.

The driver was allegedly taken into a bush and held captive until a ransom of N3m was paid.

The victim’s vehicle, a 2012 Toyota Corolla, was subsequently traced to Bauchi State, where police said it was recovered while Mohammed was allegedly attempting to sell it.

Further investigation allegedly connected the suspects to another kidnapping involving Pastor David Dahni and his driver, Abdullahi Abubakar.

The police said a ransom of N10.5m was reportedly paid in that case.

The arrests form part of the Nigeria Police Force’s continuing intelligence-led efforts to disrupt kidnapping and armed robbery networks, particularly syndicates alleged to combine abduction-for-ransom with vehicle theft and other forms of organised crime.

The cases also highlight the financial dimension of kidnapping, with the two investigations involving reported ransom demands of N7m, N15m, N3m and N10.5m.

While ransom payments are frequently reported in kidnapping cases across Nigeria, the circumstances surrounding individual incidents vary considerably and allegations made during police investigations still require due process before guilt can be established.

For Rito’s family, the most immediate outcome is his safe recovery.

The police said the toddler is now back with his biological father after medical attention, while investigations continue into the alleged scheme and the separate kidnapping syndicate.

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The suspects are expected to face further investigation and, where sufficient evidence is established, prosecution in accordance with the law.