Two kidnappers, Gayya Alhaji Abdu (20) and Siyyo Alhaji Amadu (21), have turned themselves in and confessed their involvement in kidnapping activities in Taraba State.
Meeting with local hunter leaders, they expressed remorse and declared their intention to abandon their criminal past.
Gayya recounted his journey into kidnapping, stating that he was driven by fear after discovering he was listed as a suspect. Fearing for his life, he sought refuge with a friend already affiliated with a kidnapping gang operating around the Jalingo, Kona, and Lankabiri mountains.
He described the horrors he witnessed, including the mistreatment of victims, as his primary motivation for repentance.
Similarly, Amadu admitted to joining a kidnapping gang in the Mayo-Renewo area of Ardo-Kola council.
Despite his involvement in multiple abduction incidents, he realized the gravity of his actions and decided to turn his life around.
Babangida Kwamando, leader of the local hunters’ association, welcomed the repentant individuals, affirming the association’s stance on rehabilitation.
He emphasized their commitment to providing a path for former criminals to reintegrate into society.
Kwamando explained that repentant criminals undergo a solemn oath on the Holy Qur’an, pledging to abstain from illegal activities before being accepted into the hunters’ association.
The decision by Gayya and Amadu to renounce their criminal past and join the fight against banditry and kidnapping, he said, sends a hopeful message to communities grappling with insecurity in the State.
