‘Evil’ men jailed for over 23 years after ‘barbaric’ kidnap and torture of man in Luton

Three men have been put behind bars for the ‘barbaric’ kidnap and torture of a man in Luton who was held hostage for nearly eight hours.

Idnan Akbar, Safed Rafiq and Dawud Safeer held their victim against his will in a bedroom of a Luton house, burning and cutting him with a machete. The trio now face more than 23 years in prison for their part in the November 2021 attack.

The victim was hit in the head with a baseball bat, punched, attacked with a hammer and had his nose and mouth blocked to stop him from breathing.

The attackers also prevented the victim from breathing using a telephone charger cable as a ligature and pressing their knee on the back of his neck.

Akbar, 32, was the first one to attack the victim with a machete. The huge knife was heated up and used to burn his skin. The man told police officers that the burns caused him more pain than he had ever felt in his life.

He said: “During this incident, I honestly thought they were going to kill me and I didn’t think it was going to stop.”

Bedfordshire Police were tipped off to the kidnap and torture after an anonymous 999 call. Soon after, officers arrived at the address and found 13 men and two women inside the property. They were arrested for offences including kidnap.

Inside the property, there was evidence of widespread drug use as well as knives and machetes. The victim was located in an upstairs bedroom and told officers that he had been kidnapped.

The victim is still recovering from his injuries and needs corrective bone surgery. The court heard how he still covers up scarring on his arms and legs to avoid reliving the trauma.

Rafiq was arrested at the address. It was revealed that he had initially approached the victim in the street earlier in the day, accusing him of breaking one of the windows of Akbar’s Mercedes. Rafiq forced the victim to come with him to the Ash Road address.

Safeer was arrested by officers attempting to leave the scene after police arrived. Akbar fled the scene and went on the run. He was arrested five months later after DNA was found on the machete handle belonging to Akbar.

Rafiq, 37, of Claremont Road, Luton, and Akbar, 32, of Blenheim Crescent, Luton, both pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent (GBH). Safeer, 25, of Lyvelly Gardens, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Rafiq was jailed for 10 years and two months for false imprisonment – serving a sentence of five years and five months for GBH at the same time. Akbar was handed a jail term of seven years and two months for false imprisonment, and a concurrent sentence of five years and five months for GBH.

Meanwhile, Safeer was given a sentence of five years and 10 months for false imprisonment and 13 months for his lesser GBH offence, which will be served at the same time.

DC Adam Geary from Bedfordshire Police, who led the investigation, said: “These three men have subjected the victim in this case to unimaginable cruelty.

“Their actions are vile, inhumane and barbaric. This is the most disturbing and grotesque incident I have ever come across as a police officer.

“Evil like this should be behind bars. I hope these significant sentences will bring some sense of justice for the victim and his loved ones.

“The details of this case will undoubtedly shock people, but fortunately this kind of barbarism is incredibly rare. I am also pleased to say the victim in this case is getting the physical and emotional support he needs to recover from something I am sure will stay with him for the rest of his life.”