The Kano Police Command announced they have arrested a 22-year-old man named Zakariyya Muhammad for kidnapping.
He was caught just 16 hours after he kidnapped a baby who is 18 months old.
In a statement, Police spokesman SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa shared that a local resident reported the incident. The baby’s father had informed this resident about the kidnapping and that the kidnapper was demanding a N2 million ransom to release the child.
According to the statement, on July 4th, 2024, around 4 pm, a resident from Sabuwar Gandu Kwarin Barka Quarters in Kano got a phone call from a stranger. The caller said he had kidnapped the resident’s little girl, Amina, and wanted N2 million to let her go.
The Kano State Police Commissioner, CP Salman Dogo Garba, quickly acted on this information. He sent the Anti-kidnapping Squad, led by SP Aliyu Muhammad Auwal, to rescue the baby and catch the kidnapper within 24 hours.
After getting these orders, the police team worked hard. They used clever and technical methods to find and arrest the kidnapper, Zakariyya Muhammad, by 8 am on July 5th, 2024, just 16 hours after the kidnapping took place.
It turned out that Zakariyya Muhammad was actually a neighbor of the baby. He confessed to the crime and showed the police where he was keeping the baby.
The baby was rescued unharmed from a hidden spot in their neighborhood. She was taken to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano where doctors checked her and found she was healthy.
The Police Commissioner assured everyone that such terrible acts would not be allowed. He promised that the police will use all their tools to stop criminal activities and bring criminals to justice.
He thanked the good people of the state and asked them to stay alert and work with the police by reporting any suspicious activities. This way, everyone can help make the community safer.