A former aide to Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda has been arrested for allegedly masterminding the abduction of an eight-year-old boy for a N17 million ransom.
Nura Aliyu, 39, who previously served as Senior Special Assistant on Community Development Programme, was arrested alongside five other suspects by operatives of the Katsina State Police Command.
The police spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said the victim was abducted on May 13, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. while returning from an Islamic school.
The suspects contacted the family the following day and demanded a ransom of N50 million. After negotiations, N17 million was paid to secure the release of the child.
The command recovered N7.5 million, being part of the ransom, one Peugeot 307 vehicle, a Boxer motorcycle and other items 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.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit of the command swung into action. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives tracked and arrested six members of the syndicate on May 23, 2026,” the police spokesman said.
“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.”
Investigations revealed that Aliyu previously held the position under Governor Radda before resigning to contest for the Batsari Constituency seat in the Katsina State House of Assembly.
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.
