… arrest six suspects linked to abduction of eight-year-old boy in Katsina metropolis
Katsina State Police Command says it has dismantled a seven-man kidnapping syndicate allegedly responsible for the abduction of an eight-year-old boy in Katsina State.
The command’s spokesperson, Abubakar Sadiq, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.
According to the police, six members of the gang were arrested by operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit, while one suspect identified as Abdul remains on the run.
The victim was reportedly kidnapped on May 13 while returning from an Islamic school in Katsina metropolis.
Police said the kidnappers later demanded ₦50 million ransom from the family before negotiations led to the payment of ₦17 million for the child’s release.
Following the incident, operatives launched an investigation and tracked down the suspects using intelligence gathering.
The arrested suspects were identified as Nura Aliyu, said to be the mastermind and neighbour to the victim’s family, alongside Abubakar Aminu, Ibrahim Muhammad, Iliyasu Sani, Abubakar Muhammad and Abdullahi Isma’il.
Police added that the suspects confessed during interrogation and identified Abdul as another accomplice currently at large.
Recovered items include a Peugeot 307 vehicle, a Boxer motorcycle and ₦7.5 million believed to be part of the ransom money.
The Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, praised the operatives involved in the operation and assured residents of intensified efforts to combat kidnapping and violent crimes in the state.