Katsina Grandson Arrested for Allegedly Plotting Grandfather’s Kidnapping, as Police Rescue Two Abducted Women

In a case that has stunned families in Katsina State, police say a 22-year-old man conspired with two accomplices to kidnap his own grandfather for ransom, a betrayal that unravelled after a tip-off led to the trio’s arrest.

Sani Dikko was arrested alongside Kabir Sani and Salisu Bello, all 22, during an operation by the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit along Marabar Shema Village in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement issued Wednesday on behalf of Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Fage.

According to the statement, the suspects were caught on September 12, 2026, at about 8:23pm during a routine confidence-building patrol based on credible intelligence.

‘On 12th September 2026, at about 8:23 pm, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), while on a confidence-building patrol along Marabar Shema Village, acted on credible intelligence and successfully busted a three-man kidnap syndicate,' the statement read.

Police said all three men confessed during preliminary investigation, with Dikko admitting his role in a plot against his own family member.

‘The suspects were identified as: Sani Dikko, m, aged 22 – Informant, Kabir Sani, m, aged 22, Salisu Bello, m, aged 22. During preliminary investigation, the suspects confessed to the commission of the offence. Specifically, Sani Dikko voluntarily confessed to conspiring with the other suspects to kidnap his grandfather, Alhaji Lawal, about three weeks ago. The victim spent 16 days in captivity before securing her release following the payment of a ₦3,000,000 ransom,’ the statement said.

All three suspects remain in custody as police work to uncover any wider criminal network behind the plot.

In a separate operation offering some relief to another set of families, police rescued two women, 45-year-old Assubi Rabe and 27-year-old Rabi Isyaku, who had been abducted by around eight armed bandits during an attack on Sha’iskawa Fulani Village in Kankia Local Government Area at about 12:45am on September 14.

The Kankia Divisional Police Officer mobilised operatives to the scene after a distress call, and the team engaged the attackers in a gun battle.

‘Due to the superior firepower of the police team, the bandits fled into the surrounding bush, allowing operatives to successfully rescue both kidnapped victims unhurt,' the statement said.

The Commissioner of Police commended the operatives for their gallantry and professionalism, reiterating the command’s commitment to sustained operations against kidnapping and banditry across Katsina State, and urged members of the public to keep providing timely, credible information to support the police’s work.