The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a former Senior Special Assistant to the Katsina State Governor on Community Development Programme (CDP), Nura Aliyu, for allegedly masterminding the abduction of an eight-year-old boy.
Aliyu, 39, was arrested alongside five other suspects over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping incident, according to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu.
Although the police statement did not specifically confirm his former role under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, investigations indicated that Aliyu previously served in the position before resigning to contest for the Batsari Constituency seat in the Katsina State House of Assembly. 
The police said the victim was abducted on May 13, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. while returning from an Islamic school in the area.
According to the Command, the suspects later contacted the victim’s family the following day and demanded a ransom of N50 million for his release. After negotiations, the family reportedly paid N17 million before the child was freed.
The police spokesperson added that during investigation, operatives recovered N7.5 million from the suspects, part of the ransom paid, along with a Peugeot 307 car and a Boxer motorcycle, among other exhibits.
He also disclosed that the suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation and named one Abdul, currently at large, as a member of the syndicate.
“In response to the report, operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Command swung into action. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives tracked and arrested six members of the syndicate on May 23, 2026,” the statement said.
The suspects arrested include Nura Aliyu, Abubakar Aminu, Ibrahim Muhammad, Iliyasu Sani, Abubakar Muhammad, and Abdullahi Isma’il.
The Command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect, while commending the operatives for what it described as a swift and intelligence-driven operation.
Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes, adding that the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
