The Katsina State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate, including a 22-year-old man accused of arranging the abduction of his grandfather for a N3 million ransom.

The suspects, identified as Sani Dikko, Kabir Sani and Salisu Bello, all aged 22, were arrested on September 12 by operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit during a patrol around Marabar Shema village in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Abubakar Aliyu, said the arrest followed credible intelligence that led operatives to the suspected three-man syndicate.

According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that Dikko allegedly conspired with the other suspects to abduct his grandfather, identified as Alhaji Lawal, about three weeks earlier.

The victim reportedly spent 16 days in captivity before his release after a N3 million ransom was paid.

The police said all three suspects remained in custody while investigators worked to establish their wider criminal connections.

In a separate operation, police rescued two women abducted by bandits during an attack on Sha’iskawa Fulani Village in Kankia Local Government Area.

The victims, identified as 45-year-old Assubi Rabe and 27-year-old Rabi Isyaku, were reportedly abducted around 12:45am on September 14 by about eight armed bandits.

The Kankia Divisional Police Officer mobilised operatives after receiving a distress call, leading to an exchange of gunfire with the attackers.

The police said the superior firepower of the operatives forced the bandits to retreat into the surrounding bush, allowing the two women to be rescued unharmed.

The Commissioner of Police, Ali Fage, commended the operatives for their efforts and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support security operations across the state.