By Ado Oyeyemi
The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man, Sani Dikko, for allegedly conspiring with two others to kidnap his grandfather and collect N3 million ransom for his release.
Dikko was arrested alongside Kabir Sani, 22, and Salisu Bello, 22, by operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit during a patrol around Marabar Shema Village in the Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Fage.
Aliyu said the suspects were apprehended at about 8:23pm on September 12, 2026, after the operatives acted on credible intelligence received during a confidence-building patrol.
He said the operation led to the arrest of the three-man syndicate, with Dikko identified as the alleged informant in the operation.
According to the police, Dikko allegedly confessed during preliminary investigation to conspiring with the other suspects to abduct his grandfather, identified as Alhaji Lawal, about three weeks earlier.
The police said the victim spent 16 days in captivity before his release following the payment of N3m ransom.
The command said the three suspects remained in custody as detectives continued investigations to establish their alleged roles and determine whether they were connected to other criminal activities.
In a separate operation, police operatives rescued two women abducted by suspected bandits during an attack on Sha’iskawa Fulani Village in the Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The victims, identified as 45-year-old Assubi Rabe and 27-year-old Rabi Isyaku, were reportedly abducted at about 12:45am on September 14 by about eight armed men.
The police said the Divisional Police Officer in Kankia mobilised his men after receiving a distress call, leading to an encounter with the attackers.
According to the command, the superior firepower of the police forced the bandits to retreat into the bush, enabling the operatives to rescue both women unhurt.
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Fage commended the police personnel involved in the operations and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing and responding to criminal activities.
