Police arrest three suspected kidnappers, rescue victims in Katsina

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and rescued two women abducted by armed bandits in separate operations in Dutsin-Ma and Kankia Local Government Areas.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Aliyu said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, acting on credible intelligence, arrested three suspected kidnappers during a confidence-building patrol in Dutsin-Ma.

The suspects were identified as Sani Dikko, 22, Kabir Sani, 22, and Salisu Bello, 22.

According to the police spokesman, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were linked to the abduction of an elderly man.

He said Sani Dikko confessed to conspiring with the other suspects to kidnap his grandfather, identified as Alhaji Lawal, about three weeks ago.

The victim was reportedly held for 16 days before he was released after his family paid a N3 million ransom.

Aliyu said the suspects remained in police custody as investigations continued to uncover their wider criminal network.

In a separate operation in Kankia Local Government Area, the police received a distress call at about 12:45 a.m. on Monday over an attack on Sha’iskawa Fulani Village.

He said about eight armed bandits attacked the community and abducted two women, identified as 45-year-old Assubi Rabe and 27-year-old Rabi Isyaku.

According to him, police operatives were immediately deployed to the area and engaged the attackers in a gun battle.

The confrontation forced the bandits to retreat, allowing the police to rescue both victims unharmed.

The command said the operations formed part of its ongoing efforts to disrupt kidnapping and banditry across Katsina State.