National security officer arrested after kidnapping foreign trader for ransom in Lakes

JUBA – A South Sudan National Security Service (NSS) officer has been arrested in the country’s Lakes state after kidnapping a foreign trader of Sudanese national for ransom, a senior state government official said.

William Kocji Kerjok, the Lakes state acting information minister said the officer – one of three kidnappers – who kept the Sudanese trader for 20 days was arrested on Tuesday after members of NSS went to an area where the man was being kept.

The senior government official who said the state government was yet to know the reason behind the Sudanese trader’s kidnapping, but said the kidnappers were demanding at least 20 million South Sudanese Pound (around $36,000).

“Yes, that information is correct. A Darfuri businessman has been kidnapped and kept in the Wulu area for more than 20 days. Security people went and were able to arrest them so the guy is free now and the kidnappers have been detained and investigations are going on,” Minister Kocji said, according to Radio Tamazuj.

“The reason for the kidnap is not known but the arrested suspect will explain more why they kidnapped him. They were demanding more than 20 million SSP to free him,” the minister added.

For his part, chief inspector of police in Wulu county of Lakes General Machar Maker Riel, confirmed the incident and said the National Security Service officer who he identified as Daniel Sabit had been arrested and now being investigated in the capital Rumbek.

“This is a criminal act committed. We have to inform you that Adom Bara who was kept by the kidnappers in the bushes of Wulu County is alive and safe. He will soon be okay when he comes out from the hospital where he is receiving treatment,” General Machar said.

“He was kidnapped and kept in Wulu. He was traced through the mobile phone network. The suspect, Daniel Sebit, who belongs to the National Security Service, was the one who kidnapped and was feeding him in captivity,” he added.

For their part, the head of the Darfur business community in Lakes, Abubakar Jima Sharara, confirmed the incident and said the trader he identified as Adam Adam Bara was free and was receiving treatment at a local hospital in Rumbek.

“On 29 March, A Sudanese citizen called Adam Bara was kidnapped within Rumbek in the evening. He was put at gunpoint and kidnapped by people riding a Senke motorcycle. We reported it to the police and they tracked the phone to Wulu and traced the criminals to Wulu. They kept calling and demanding a ransom of 1.5 million SSP and they kept increasing the amount,” he said.