Metro

Police Confirm Abduction of Former NYSC DG, Others in Katsina

Published

2 months ago

Feb 6, 2025.

Bandits abduct former NYSC DG Maharazu Tsiga and others in Katsina attack.
Kwara Police foil two kidnap attempts, arrest four suspects, and prevent ₦9m ransom payment.
Security operatives track and apprehend kidnappers using intelligence-led operations.

Bandits have reportedly attacked Tsiga town in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, abducting an unspecified number of people, including retired Brig.-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga, a former NYSC Director-General.

According to sources, the attack occurred around midnight on Thursday, with the assailants storming the town armed with dangerous weapons, shooting sporadically before forcefully entering Tsiga’s residence.

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EKO HOT BLOG gathered that during the attack, one of the bandits was reportedly killed, while no casualties were recorded among the residents.

When contacted, Katsina State Police spokesperson DSP Abubakar Aliyu confirmed the abduction but stated that authorities were still working to verify the identities of those kidnapped.

In other news, The Kwara State Police Command has foiled two separate kidnap attempts and arrested four suspects in Ifelodun and Baruten Local Government Areas.

The breakthrough came on January 9 and 15, 2025, when police operatives successfully tracked and arrested the suspects at different locations in Share, Ifelodun LGA, and Ilesha-Baruba in Baruten LGA. Their intervention also saved the victims from paying a combined N9 million ransom.

State Police Command spokesperson Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, in two statements on Thursday, confirmed the arrests.

In the first case, two suspects—Umar Sanni of Tarshan Girgi, Niger State, and Dairu Isiaku of Iyana Share, Kwara State—were arrested for criminal conspiracy and extortion. They had threatened two individuals from Ifelodun LGA with kidnapping unless a N5 million ransom was paid. Both suspects confessed to their roles and have been charged to court.

In the second case, a resident of Ajuba Fulani Camp, Ilesha Baruba, found a note at his doorstep with phone numbers demanding a ₦20 million ransom, later negotiated to ₦4 million. After reporting to the police, an intelligence-led operation led to the arrest of Tukur Muhammad and Yahaya Abdullahi, who admitted to extortion attempts using multiple phone numbers. They have also been charged to court and remanded in custody.

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