By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina Times

Katsina, 20 October 2026

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested four suspects over the alleged kidnapping of children under the age of five and rescued a three-year-old boy unhurt.

The command disclosed this in a press statement issued on Tuesday by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu.

According to the statement, the investigation began on 5 October 2026, when Abubakar Ahmed Rufa’i reported that his four-and-a-half-year-old son, Muhammed Abubakar, had been kidnapped on 30 September.

The statement said the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of ₦5 million but later agreed to accept ₦20,000 as feeding money for the child before his release. The money was reportedly paid through Point-of-Sale (POS) accounts.

Police operatives subsequently arrested two POS operators, identified as Abubakar Muntari and Aminu Idris, who allegedly received and withdrew the money.

On 8 October, the police received another report from Abdulrahaman Bello, who said his three-year-old son, Yakubu Abdulrahman, was missing. The father also reported receiving ransom demands from the suspected kidnappers, including a request for ₦100,000 as feeding money.

The police said technical analysis linked the two incidents to the same criminal network, leading to a sting operation later that day.

During the operation, officers arrested a 16-year-old suspect, Abdulhakim Mustapha, at a POS terminal while he was allegedly attempting to collect the money.

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According to the police, the previously arrested POS operators identified him as the person who had collected the feeding money in the first kidnapping case.

The statement said Mustapha confessed to the alleged crimes and led detectives to a hideout where the three-year-old boy was rescued unhurt.

Police also arrested Aminu Musa, 20, who was allegedly responsible for keeping and guarding the child while coordinating ransom negotiations. An operational SIM card reportedly used to negotiate the ransom was recovered.

The police said the suspects named two alleged accomplices, identified as Ibrahim and Mohammed, also known as Malam, who are currently at large.

The command said investigations were continuing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and identify other accomplices.

The Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, CP Ali Umar Fage, urged POS operators and other financial service agents to verify customers’ identities and report suspicious transactions to the nearest police station.

He also reiterated the command’s commitment to tackling crimes targeting children and other vulnerable persons.