armed bandits, Kidnappers
‘Bitcoin
armed bandits, Kidnappers
‘Bitcoin kidnappers’ of Aisha Ardo Yet to be arrested-
Security Sources
…. Fake image of suspect trending on Social
Media
There is no credibility in the story that one Abubakar Saadu, who
allegedly collected $15,000 in bitcoin as ransom to release a
kidnapped victim, Aisha Ardo, has been arrested by security
agencies in Kano.
The daughter of Dr Umar Ardo, who is a cousin to former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar, was kidnapped last Saturday at
supermarket in Asokoro, Abuja.
Her father confirmed that he paid $15,000 to secure her release
on Sunday night after she had spent about 30 hours with the
kidnappers at a forest close to Gwarinpa District in Abuja.
In the wake of Aisha Ardo’s release, an image appeared on the
social media claiming that the recipient of the ransom through
bitcoin transaction had been arrested in Kano. One of the trending
reports with the image on social media platforms read thus:
“E-ransom crook that collected ransom in bitcoins has been traced
and arrested by security agencies in Kano.”
The reports further claimed that the 31 years-old Saadu, the
alleged e-crook, is a Kano State-born indigene, among other
details.
PRNigeria[1] gathered that contrary
to the claims, mostly on the Social Media, the security agencies
have denied the report of the arrest. Sources at both the Police
and the Department of State Services (DSS), debunked the story
making the round of the arrest as fake. They said that while
investigation is ongoing, no suspect was arrested in Kano any of
the security agencies.
Further investigations by PRNigeria[2], revealed that the image
and data of purported ‘bitcoin kidnapper’ is that of a motorcyclist
in a popular district in Abuja.