Former Senior Special Assistant to the Katsina State Governor on Community Development Programme (CDP), Nura Aliyu, has been arrested by operatives of the Katsina State Police Command for allegedly masterminding the abduction of an eight-year-old boy.
Aliyu, 39, according to a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, was arrested alongside five other suspects for allegedly plotting the kidnapping of the victim.
Although the police spokesperson did not state whether Aliyu served under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, investigations revealed that he previously held the position before resigning to contest for the Batsari Constituency seat in the Katsina State House of Assembly.
The police spokesman explained that the victim was abducted on May 13, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. while returning from an Islamic school.
He said the suspects contacted the family the following day and demanded a ransom of N50 million, but after negotiations, N17 million was paid to secure the release of the child.
The command added that N7.5 million, being part of the ransom, one Peugeot 307 vehicle, a Boxer motorcycle and other items were recovered from the suspects during investigation.
According to the police, the suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation and identified one Abdul, who is currently at large, as their accomplice.
The statement said: “Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the command swung into action. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives tracked and arrested six members of the syndicate today, May 23, 2026.
“Those arrested are: Nura Aliyu, age 39, identified as the mastermind and a neighbour to the victim’s family; Abubakar Aminu, age 37; Ibrahim Muhammad, age 51; Iliyasu Sani, age 51; Abubakar Muhammad, age 27; and Abdullahi Isma’il, age 30.”
While noting that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect, the police spokesman said the state Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, commended the operatives for what he described as a swift operation.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes, adding that the suspects would be charged to court after investigation.
Francis Sardauna
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