The Katsina State Police Command has arrested six suspects, including a neighbour of the victim’s family, over the abduction of an eight-year-old boy in the Katsina metropolis.
The command said the suspects would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed that the arrests were made by operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit.
According to the police, the boy, whose identity was withheld, was abducted on May 13, 2026, while returning home from an Islamic school.
Aliyu explained that the kidnappers contacted the family the following day and demanded a ransom of N50 million for the child’s release.
Following negotiations, the family reportedly paid N17 million before the victim was freed.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit of the command swung into action. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives tracked and arrested six members of the syndicate on May 23, 2026,” the statement said.
The police identified the suspects as Nura Aliyu, 39, who was described as the mastermind and a neighbour to the victim’s family; Abubakar Aminu, 37; Ibrahim Muhammad, 51; Iliyasu Sani, 51; Abubakar Muhammad, 27; and Abdullahi Isma’il, 30.
According to the command, the suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation and identified another accomplice, Abdul, who is currently on the run.
Aliyu said a manhunt had been launched to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
The police also recovered several exhibits from the suspects, including a Peugeot 307 vehicle, a Boxer motorcycle, and N7.5 million believed to be part of the ransom paid by the victim’s family.
“The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, Ali Fage, commended the operatives for the swift operation and assured residents of the command’s commitment to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state,” the statement added.
The command noted that the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of investigations.
