Police in Niger State say they have taken seven suspected kidnappers from Shiroro and New Bussa areas of the state into custody, The Nation Newspaper reports.

N3.2 million was also recovered from the suspects, the police added, saying it was ransom paid by their victims.

Parading the suspects on Monday in Minna, the state capital, police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said that four of the suspects were arrested on Gwada/Shiroro Road while the other three were apprehended on Ibbi/New Bussa Road.

Three of the suspects said the money was the ransom for three victims they kidnapped in Nasko and Mashegu local government areas.

The suspects include Usman Shehu, Bello Muhammed and Ibrahim Shuaibu who said they came from Kebbi State for the operation.

Usman said the total ransom cash was N8 million, adding that they were unfortunate to have been caught while on their way to Minna to share the money.

“I didn’t expect that we would be caught. It is true that we kidnapped the people but we never knew we would be caught.”

The other suspects arrested along Gwada/Shiroro Road included Abdulkareem Mohammed, Nura Ibrahim, Jamilu Mohammed and Hauwa Mohammed.

Hauwa, a female, confessed that she links the suspects to motorcycle riders after they have kidnapped their victims.

Abdulkareem Mohammed confessed that his group is part of the bandits terrorising Kussasu/Galadima Kogo area of Shiroro council.

Police said they recovered N1.5 million from the second group of kidnappers.