The Kano State Police Command has foiled a plot to kidnap the village head of Bangare in Gezawa Local Government Area. Two 20-year-old men, Aliyu Naziru Garba and Bashir Alhasan, were arrested following intelligence-led operations by operatives attached to the Gezawa Divisional Police Headquarters. The suspects were said to have been involved in an alleged plot to kidnap Mallam Idris, the village head.
According to the command's spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the village head received a threatening phone call on October 24, at about 9:33 p.m., in which an unidentified caller threatened to kidnap him. He formally reported the incident on October 26 at about 1:30 a.m. at the Gezawa Divisional Police Headquarters. The police operatives launched a follow-up operation, which led to the arrest of the two suspects.
The Kano State Police Command said the suspects had confessed to the commission of the crime, adding that the investigation was ongoing, and they would be charged to court upon completion. The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the officers for their swift response and professional handling of the case. The arrests were made possible through the collaborative efforts of the police and other security agencies.
The Gezawa arrest is not an isolated case, as it comes just days after operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad arrested seven suspected kidnappers at Bawaje Forest in Bebeji Local Government Area. The police recovered an AK-47 rifle and ₦730,500 suspected to be proceeds of kidnapping, as well as 18 rounds of live ammunition, two motorcycles, 33 cows, and 30 sheep during the operation.
In another operation, police arrested a notorious kidnap suspect and recovered a drone along the Kano–Kaduna border. The suspect was described as a member of a syndicate involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, and cattle rustling across Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna states. He was linked to the kidnapping of a household in Gwarzo Local Government Area.
The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force, led by Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, has been on a wider operation, arresting 380 suspects and securing over 230 convictions within two months. The task force also arrested 27-year-old Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, popularly known as Malam Keya, over alleged sponsorship of violent gang clashes in Dala Local Government Area.
The Kano State Police Command has reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property, urging residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information. The police assured the public that they would continue to work tirelessly to prevent and combat crime in the state.
Key points
- Two suspects were arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap a village head in Kano State.
- The arrests were part of a wider operation by the Kano State Police Command to combat kidnapping and other crimes.
- The police have reiterated their commitment to protecting lives and property in Kano State.
