KANO, Nigeria – The Kano State Police Command has arrested a man suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of a nine-year-old boy in Rimin Kebbe, as investigations continue into alleged thuggery and criminal activities in the area.
The police spokesperson, Abdullahi Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, identifying the suspect as Abubakar Isma’il, popularly known as Sankolo. He said operatives of the Zango Police Division arrested Isma’il at about 9.30 p.m. on Friday following intelligence gathering after the arrest of another suspected gang leader, Umar Usman, also known as Ta’ambo.
According to Kiyawa, Isma’il was on the command’s wanted list over alleged involvement in thuggery and kidnapping in Rimin Kebbe and neighbouring communities. He is also suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of Ubaidu Sammani, the nine-year-old son of Alhaji Sammani, on July 3, 2026.
Kiyawa said the suspect was allegedly linked to a kidnapping case in which other suspects had already been charged to court and were standing trial. He added that preliminary investigations indicated that Isma’il had confessed to involvement in several incidents of thuggery and mobile phone robberies.
The police said investigations were continuing, with operatives working to arrest other suspected members of the gang and recover items and weapons believed to be connected to the alleged offences. The command said the suspect would be prosecuted after the investigation was concluded.
The arrest comes as police continue efforts to address reported criminal activities in Rimin Kebbe and surrounding communities. Further details are needed on the outcome of the earlier kidnapping case and whether the nine-year-old victim was safely recovered.
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