Police arrest 4 suspected kidnappers in Katsina

The police in Katsina State have arrested four suspected kidnappers including a suspected member of a syndicate that abducted two children in the state. The spokesman of the state police command, SP Gambo Isah said the command on December 4, succeeded in arresting one Aliyu Sani, a member of notorious kidnap syndicate terrorizing Katsina metropolitan […]

The police in Katsina State have arrested four suspected kidnappers including a suspected member of a syndicate that abducted two children in the state.

The spokesman of the state police command, SP Gambo Isah said the command on December 4, succeeded in arresting one Aliyu Sani, a member of notorious kidnap syndicate terrorizing Katsina metropolitan area.

He said, sometime in April, 2019, the 20-year-old suspect conspired with one Abdulrahaman Danfillo, 25, both of Sabuwar Unguwa Quarters, Katsina (now at large), deceived and abducted two children, age 12 and 10, all of Sabuwar Unguwa Quarters, Katsina and took them to some bandits at Gora forest, Batsari LGA of Katsina State.

“The father of one of the victims (name withheld) was compelled to pay the sum N150,000 as ransom before his eventual release while the second victim escaped from the kidnappers den in Batsari,” he said.

Also, the police spokesman said that the three other suspected kidnappers were arrested in Kafur LGA of the state at the point of collecting ransom.

The suspects, according to him, are: Umar Audu, 20; Yusuf Abubakar, 25; and Ussaini Isah, 30; all of Igabi LGA of Kaduna state.

“On 29/11/2019 one Shu’aibu Bala, m, aged 36yrs of Gozaki village, Kafur LGA of Katsina state reported at Kafur Division that he has been receiving threat messages through phone calls asking him to pay the sum of N150,000 or himself or any member of his family will be kidnapped.

“Consequently, on 04/12/2019 at about 17:00hrs, Operation Puff Adder led by DPO Kafur Division succeeded in smashing the syndicate at Unguwar Iliya village of Kafur LGA, when they went to collect the ransom of N150,000 as demanded,” SP Isah said .

He added that in the course of investigation, 23 cows suspected to be stolen were recovered in their possession.

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Aliyu Sani, arrested over the kidnap of two children, said his accomplice ran away with his share of N15,000 collected as proceeds from the operation.

Sani told newsmen during his parade at the police command headquarters that his accomplice who introduced him into the business is one Abdulrahaman Danfillo.

He said Danfillo had returned from the forest and asked him how they could arrange some children for kidnap, saying that he (Sani) later arranged and lured the victims to accompany him to get some puppies.

“From there we took them to the forest where we handed them over and after the N150,000 ransom was paid, myself and Danfillo were given N30,000 and he ran away with it,” he said.