Police Arrest Suspected Kidnapper, Rescue 18-Month-Old Victim

The police have arrested Zakariyya Muhammad, a 22-year-old suspected kidnapper from Sabuwar Gandu Kwarin Barka Quarters, Kano State, just sixteen hours after the incident. The arrest was confirmed in a press statement on Tuesday by the Police Command’s spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.

Kiyawa stated, “On 04/07/2024 at about 4 pm, a resident of Sabuwar Gandu Kwarin Barka Quarters, Kano reported receiving a phone call from an unknown person who claimed to have kidnapped his 2½-year-old daughter, Amina, and demanded a N2m ransom for her release.”

Upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Salman Dogo Garba, mobilized a team from the Anti-kidnapping Squad, led by SP Aliyu Muhammad Auwal, with instructions to rescue the victim within 24 hours and arrest the suspect. The squad, utilizing intelligence-led technical operations, managed to arrest Zakariyya Muhammad on 05/07/2024 at 8 am, sixteen hours after the kidnapping.

The statement revealed that the suspect, who is a neighbor to the victim, confessed to the crime and led detectives to where he was holding the victim. The victim was subsequently rescued unharmed from an isolated area in the neighborhood and was taken to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, where she was examined, found healthy, and discharged.

CP Garba assured the public that such acts would not be tolerated and emphasized that the command would continue to use all available resources to prevent criminal activities and bring perpetrators to justice. He also thanked the law-abiding citizens of the state and urged the community to remain vigilant and cooperate with the police in reporting and preventing criminal activities to ensure a safer environment for everyone.