Police Nab 344 Suspects, Rescue 27 Kidnap Victims In Katsina

The Police Command in Katsina state has recorded major breakthroughs in its ongoing crackdown on crime, arresting 344 suspects and rescuing 27 kidnapped victims in April.

The Command spokesman, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, disclosed this on Wednesday in Katsina while briefing journalists.

Sadiq-Aliyu said the achievements followed intensified intelligence-led operations, inter-agency collaboration, and sustained patrols across identified criminal hotspots in the state.

“Within the period under review, the Command intensified its fight against kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling, and arms trafficking through proactive strategies that have yielded measurable progress in restoring public safety,” he said.

He explained that the 344 suspects arrested were linked to various crimes, including kidnapping, robbery, banditry, drug peddling, murder, rape, and other offences.

According to him, the figure includes two suspected kidnappers, 15 robbers, eight armed bandits, four informants, and 28 drug peddlers.

“Also arrested were 28 suspects for murder or culpable homicide, 25 for rape or sodomy, 57 social miscreants, and 194 for other criminal offences,” he added.

The police spokesman further revealed that 151 major cases were reported during the period, out of which 128 had been charged to court following the conclusion of investigations.

On rescue operations, Sadiq-Aliyu said 27 kidnapped victims were successfully freed and reunited with their families after undergoing medical checks and debriefing, adding that one suspected kidnapper was neutralised during a tactical operation.

He also listed items recovered from the suspects to include 20 laptops, two GSM phones, a master key, 62 National Identification Number (NIN) slips, and a scanner.

Other recoveries, he said, comprised 243 suspected rustled animals, two stolen motor vehicles, two stolen motorcycles, 48 sachets of Exol tablets, 80 sachets of Tramadol tablets, and 32 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

“All recovered exhibits are in police custody and will be tendered in court as evidence,” he said.

Sadiq-Aliyu noted that the Command carried out multiple night raids, cordon-and-search operations, and stop-and-search patrols along major highways, including the Katsina-Zaria road, leading to the interception of contraband and disruption of criminal networks.

He added that undercover operations and sustained community policing initiatives had also enhanced intelligence gathering and public cooperation.

He attributed the successes to strong collaboration with sister security agencies, noting that joint patrols and real-time intelligence sharing had significantly improved operational efficiency.

While acknowledging the progress made, he stressed that the Command remained committed to sustaining the tempo of operations until crime was drastically reduced.