A 22-year-old man named Sani Dikko has been detained by the Katsina State Police Command on suspicion of plotting to abduct his grandfather and demand N3 million in ransom before releasing him.During a patrol outside Marabar Shema Village in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area, Dikko and two other suspects, Kabir Sani and Salisu Bello, all 22, were taken into custody by members of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit.In a statement released on behalf of Commissioner of Police CP Ali Fage on Wednesday, the command’s public relations officer, DSP Abubakar Aliyu, revealed the arrests.
The statement claims that information allegedly gathered during a confidence-building patrol led to the defendants’ arrest on September 12, 2026, at approximately 8:23 p.m.Preliminary investigations, according to the police, suggested that Dikko was an informant in the kidnapping of his grandpa, Alhaji Lawal.After a N3 million ransom was paid, the victim was allegedly freed after being held captive for 16 days.
According to the command, the three suspects had admitted to the alleged crime and were being held while investigations were carried out to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and ascertain whether they had any connections to other criminal activity. Two women are saved from bandits by police. Two women who had been kidnaped during an attack on Sha’iskawa Fulani Village in Kankia Local Government Area were rescued by the Katsina Police Command in a different operation.
Assubi Rabe, 45, and Rabi Isyaku, 27, were recognized as the victims.On September 14, 2026, at around 12:45 a.m., eight armed bandits allegedly invaded the neighborhood and kidnaped the women.According to the police, after getting a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer in Kankia mobilized personnel to the location.According to reports, the robbers were forced to flee into the nearby jungle when the responding squad engaged them in a gunfight.The individuals were later retrieved unharmed, according to the police.
Commissioner Fage praised the policemen who participated in both operations for their bravery and professionalism.He reassured locals that the command will keep up its efforts to combat kidnapping and banditry throughout the state.In order to help security forces identify and capture suspected offenders, the commissioner also asked the public to give timely and reliable information.
