Headlines
Police arrest 4 suspected kidnappers including a woman terrorising Zamfara, Kano
Nasiru Yusuf
Police in Kano have on Wednesday paraded four suspected kidnappers including a 23 year widow Maryam Muhammad, of Butsa Village, Gusau, local government area of Zamfara State.
Parading the suspects, police spokesperson in Kano Abdullahi Haruna said the accused were arrested on Friday at a rented apartment located at Jaba Quarters, Ungogo local government area where they held hostage Mohammed Sanusi and demanded ten million Naira ransom from his parents.
He explained that the police have successfully rescued the victim unhurt after a fierce gun duel with the kidnappers.
Mr Kiyawa recalled that on January 12 one Sunusi Ado of Galadanchi Quarters, Gwale local government area of Kano state reported that his 29 year old son, Mohammed Sanusi, was kidnapped and a ransom of ten million Naira was demanded.
“Upon receipt of the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Habu A. Sani, psc, raised and instructed a team of Operation Puff Adder, led by DSP Shehu Dahiru, to arrest the culprits.
“The Team swiftly swung into action, and following credible intelligence, on 15 January, 2021, that is 3 days after the report, raided a rented apartment located at Jaba Quarters, Ungogo LGA of Kano State where the victim was held hostage.
“The gallant team cordoned the area, engaged the occupants of the house in a fierce gun duel, successfully rescues the victim unhurt and arrested the suspects,” Mr Haruna said.
Other aspects arrested beside Ms Muhammad are Sani Ibrahim and Shamsuddeen Suleiman all of Butsa Village, Gusau local government area Zamfara State and Ishaq Khalil, of Rijiyar Lemo Quarters, Fagge local government Kano State.
All the suspects according to police spokesperson confessed involving in series of kidnappings in Kano and Zamfara states.
Mr Haruna added that the police have recovered one AK-47 rifle, one Magazine loaded with 30 rounds of Live Ammunition and an unregistered motorcycle.
According to police spokesperson investigation revealed that Maryam’s husband, Sani Ismail of of Niger state, was a Notorious cattle rustler, killed in Zamfara state while carting away rustled cows.
Mr Kiyawa told journalists that after the death of Ms Muhammad’s husband, her brother, Hamza Dogo, also a notorious kidnapper relocated her to Kano where she rented apartments in Unguwa Uku, Panshekara and Maidile Quarters.
According to police findings Ms Muhammad later moved to Jaba Quarters and rented another apartment for six hundred thousand Naira per annum, which she turned into a kidnappers den.
How they trapped the victim
Ms Muhammad revealed that on January 12, around 8 pm, she contacted the victim via his mobile phone and told him to bring her a new Samsung handset for her to buy at sixty five thousand Naira.
Maryam Muhammad
She disclosed the victim drove his Toyota Vibe Motor Vehicle to the apartment. They opened the gate of the house, and as soon as he entered, the four of them attacked him, tied him up, took his Motor Vehicle to Zamfara State and contacted his family for ten million Naira Ransom.
Ms Muhammad disclosed that though, they demanded ransom, their plan was to kill him after collecting the ransom, because the victim knows the apartment and recognizes them.
She recalled that, on October 2, last year, they have kidnapped one Shafiu Umar, of Naibawa Quarters, Kumbotso local government area of Kano state, and held him hostage in Zamfara State.
She also confessed that they collected a ransom of ten million Naira, a brand new motorcycle and Toyota Corolla LE worth two million, five hundred thousand Naira.
The police said they have recovered the Toyota Vibe Motor Vehicle from one Ishaq Yusuf of Gidan Dawa Quarters, Gusau, Zamfara state on Monday January 19.
Mr Kiyawa told journalists that the Kano state Commissioner of Police Habu Sani has ordered for discrete investigation for the Police to arrest accomplices of the syndicate and recover their operational weapons.
He advised Kano residents to be extra careful in renting apartments to strangers.
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State Police Command has arrested eight suspects in separate operations targeting drug peddling and thuggery in Panshekara and Kunchi/Ghari Local Government Area.
KANO FOCUS reports that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
According to the statement, the operations, conducted on September 9, 2026, were part of the command’s intelligence-driven efforts to tackle drug abuse, thuggery and violent crimes across the state.
It said operatives of the Surveillance Team attached to Panshekara Police Division, acting on credible intelligence at about 2:30 p.m., intercepted eight suspects, including a 21-year-old man identified as Samson Yakubu of Samegu Quarters, at a suspected criminal hotspot.
A search of the suspects reportedly led to the recovery of 15 Pregabalin capsules, five Diazepam tablets, 10 Exol tablets and some quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The police said the suspects were in custody and undergoing interrogation, while investigations were ongoing to establish the source of the suspected illicit drugs and identify other members of the alleged syndicate.
In a related operation conducted between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. the same day, operatives of the Kunchi/Ghari Division carried out a coordinated market patrol and raid at Matanfada Market.
The command said the area had been identified as a place where youths allegedly intimidate traders and residents during market sessions.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Abdullahi Isah of Dustin; Haruna Isah of Daqarawa Village; Habu Badamasi of Dan Taimu Village; Gambo Ya’u of Kura Village; and Abubakar Dahiru of Farau Village.
The police said investigation was ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected accomplices, while exhibits recovered during the operation had been taken into custody as evidence.
CP Bakori commended the operatives for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, assuring residents that the command would sustain its operations against drug abuse, thuggery and other violent crimes.
“In line with the IGP’s policing vision and our mandate to ensure a safe and secure Kano, we will continue to be proactive,” the commissioner said.
“We are sending a clear message to criminal elements that Kano State will not be a breeding ground for their activities.”
The command also appreciated members of the public, community leaders and vigilante groups for providing information that aided the operations.
It urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.
The command said all suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The funeral prayer for the late Shehu Kabir Bayero, Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Dorayi, was held on Thursday evening at Kofar Kudu, Kano Emir’s Palace.
KANO FOCUS reports that the prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Khamsus Salawati Mosque, Kofar Kudu, Malam Bello, and attended by hundreds of people from different parts of Kano State.
Among those who attended were the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk; representative of the Emir of Kano, Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Matawalle; Chief of Staff to the Kano State Government House, Dr Sani Wali; as well as district heads and members of the Muslim community.
Shehu Kabir Bayero died in a hospital in Egypt following a period of illness. He is survived by his wives, children and other relatives.
Until his death, the late Bayero served as Commissioner of Police in Gombe and Osun states before retiring from the Nigeria Police Force.
Following his retirement, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, appointed him as the Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Takai Local Government Area after the death of his father, the late Kabir Bayero, an elder brother of the former emir.
He later served as District Head of Gwarzo.
Due to his wealth of experience in security matters, the current Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, subsequently reassigned him as District Head of Dorayi, where he was expected to contribute to the sustenance of peace and security in the area.
The late district head was remembered for his service to the state and his experience in security and traditional administration.
May Allah forgive his shortcomings, have mercy on his soul and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Ministry of Education, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has held a planning meeting on the implementation and effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the meeting brought together relevant stakeholders from various ministries, agencies and development partners working in the education sector.
According to Malam Naziru Sirajo, deputy director EMIS and statistics in the Ministry of Education, the meeting was aimed at reviewing the current status of the Nigeria Learning Passport in Kano and developing a coordinated plan to strengthen its implementation, content utilisation, course completion, monitoring of learners’ progress and certification.
The Nigeria Learning Passport is a digital learning platform designed to provide Nigerian children and young people with access to curriculum-aligned educational content, including lessons, learning materials and assessments.
The platform is also designed to support learning continuity, including for learners facing limited or intermittent internet connectivity, while providing teachers and education stakeholders with digital resources to complement classroom instruction.
In Kano, the initiative is expected to strengthen awareness and utilisation of digital learning, while building the capacity of master trainers and technical teams to support schools, teachers and learners in using the platform effectively.
The effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport is expected to expand access to quality digital learning resources, promote independent learning, strengthen digital literacy and support improved learning outcomes and greater equity in access to educational opportunities.
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