Gunmen (file photo)

…. 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 a 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 a 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 Gwarimpa 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 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 the investigation is ongoing, no suspect was arrested in Kano by any of the security agencies.

Further investigations by PRNigeria, revealed that the image and data of purported ‘bitcoin kidnapper’ is that of a motorcyclist (Okada Rider) in a popular district in Abuja.