Ex-Aide Arrested for Masterminding Child Abduction

Nura Aliyu, aged 39, a former senior special assistant to the Katsina State governor Dikko Umar Radda, was arrested by the Katsina State Police Command for allegedly masterminding the abduction of an eight-year-old boy. The abduction occurred on May 13, 2026, when the victim was taken from an Islamic school.

The suspects demanded a ransom of N50 million, but negotiations led to a payment of N17 million for the child's release. During the investigation, police recovered N7.5 million, a Peugeot 307, and a Boxer motorcycle.

Aliyu was identified as a neighbor to the victim's family and was arrested alongside five other suspects: Abubakar Aminu (37), Ibrahim Muhammad (51), Iliyasu Sani (51), Abubakar Muhammad (27), and Abdullahi Isma'il (30). The police's new Violent Crime Response Unit acted on credible intelligence to apprehend the suspects on May 23, 2026.

Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, commended the operation's swift execution and reiterated the command's commitment to tackling kidnapping and violent crime.