Police arrest 22-year-old over grandfather’s kidnap

Abimbola Joseph

Katsina police have arrested a 22-year-old man, Sani Dikko, for allegedly helping two accomplices kidnap his grandfather and demand ₦3m ransom for his release.

Dikko was arrested alongside Kabir Sani and Salisu Bello, both aged 22, by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit during a patrol around Marabar Shema Village in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area.

The arrests were made at about 8.23pm on 12 September 2026 following credible intelligence received by the police.

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.

Preliminary investigation indicated that Dikko allegedly provided information that helped the suspects abduct his grandfather, identified as Alhaji Lawal, about three weeks before his arrest.

Lawal reportedly spent 16 days in captivity before he was released after his family paid ₦3m to the kidnappers.

Police said Dikko confessed to conspiring with Kabir and Bello in the abduction.

The three suspects remain in custody as investigators work to determine the extent of their alleged involvement and uncover other members of the criminal network.

In a separate operation, police rescued two women abducted by bandits during an attack on Sha’iskawa Fulani Village in Kankia Local Government Area.

The victims, 45-year-old Assubi Rabe and 27-year-old Rabi Isyaku, were reportedly taken at about 12.45am on 14 September by about eight-armed men.

Following a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer in Kankia mobilised officers to the area.

The police team engaged the attackers, forcing them to retreat into the bush before rescuing the two women unharmed.

The command attributed the successful operation to what it described as the superior firepower of the responding officers.

Fage commended the officers for their professionalism and gallantry, while reaffirming the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and banditry across Katsina State. He urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to the police, saying community cooperation remained vital to preventing and responding to criminal activities.