Katsina Police Arrest 247 Suspects, Rescue 17 Kidnap Victims

Police in Katsina say they arrested 247 suspects and rescued 17 kidnapped victims during operations carried out across the state in August 2026.

The command said the suspects were linked to offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry support, drug peddling, murder and culpable homicide. It also said the rescued victims were debriefed, medically examined and reunited with their families.

Police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq gave the figures at the command headquarters in Katsina while presenting the command’s August operations report. He spoke on behalf of Commissioner of Police Ali Fage.

The breakdown reported by the police included three suspected kidnappers, 15 armed robbery suspects, four suspected informants to armed bandits, 31 suspected drug peddlers, 13 murder or culpable homicide suspects, 20 rape and sodomy suspects, and 160 others arrested over different alleged offences.

The command also listed several recovered items, including an AK-47 rifle, 145 suspected rustled livestock, one vehicle, six motorcycles, 1,500 packs of ready-to-use therapeutic food known locally as Yar Kwamaso, tramadol capsules, Exol-5 tablets, recharge cards, vandalised electrical wires and a sewing machine.

Punch reported that 122 major criminal cases were handled during the month and that 89 had been charged to court after preliminary investigations. Channels TV also reported the same 247 arrests and 17 rescued victims from the August operation.

Sources: Punch, Channels TV