Confusion In Kano As Gunmen Snatch Lady After Collecting ₦8 Million Ransom From Her Parents

A group of unidentified assailants has once again attacked Garo town in the Kabo Local Government Area of Kano and abducted a young woman named Zainab.

Naija News learnt that Zainab’s relatives had engaged in negotiations for her release.

However, despite receiving the payment of ₦8 million from her family, the assailants remained unyielding, taking Zainab and escaping to an undisclosed location.

According to PM News, a source informed the media that the assailants executed their operation in a commando-like manner, discharging firearms into the air while transporting both the victim and the ransom money.

Eyewitnesses told reporters that approximately 10 gunmen targeted the home of a well-known business figure, Alhaji Auwal, in Garo Sabuwar Unguwa around 1:20 a.m. on Sunday.

“Three of them were armed with guns, while the rest carried various dangerous weapons. Residents were terrified as they brandished their weapons and fired sporadically,” an eyewitness recounted.

The assailants gained entry into the residence by forcibly breaching a smaller door, subsequently gathering the family members and instilling a sense of terror.

In a state of desperation, the family patriarch engaged in negotiations with the armed intruders, proposing a sum of ₦8 million to secure the safety of his loved ones.

“Despite receiving the ransom, the criminals abducted the eldest daughter of the family before fleeing. The whereabouts of the young lady remain unknown, as the kidnappers have yet to contact the family,” the eyewitness added.

Naija News understands that the kidnapping of Zainab has caused significant alarm in Kano, intensifying concerns throughout the region.

In reaction to this incident, spokesperson for the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, announced in a statement on Sunday that the Commissioner of Police, Salman Dogo Garba, has dispatched an anti-kidnapping unit along with additional detectives to the location to apprehend the assailants.

The investigation is currently underway, and Kiyawa has urged the community to remain calm while encouraging residents to be alert and report any suspicious behaviour to law enforcement.

Naija News reports that the latest kidnapping incident comes barely two days after gunmen abducted and killed a retired Permanent Secretary from Gombe State in Kano, following the payment of an ₦10 million ransom.

Atiku Mu’azu, the former chairman of the Gombe State Board of Internal Revenue Service, was tragically murdered by his kidnappers after his family paid a ransom of ₦10 million.

Reports indicate that Atiku received a call from his mechanic, who informed him that his stolen vehicle had been recovered. When Atiku met the mechanic at a location that remains undisclosed to retrieve the car, he was taken hostage by the kidnappers.

They initially demanded a ransom of ₦20 million but ultimately accepted N10 million before abandoning his lifeless body by the roadside in a different area.

One suspect has been apprehended in relation to this case, while the mechanic is still unaccounted for. Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya has condemned this heinous act, extending his sympathies to the victim’s family and praising the security forces for their prompt action in detaining a suspect.

In a related development, the Kano State Police Command has issued warnings about possible terrorist threats to public facilities in the area.

SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa has advised the public to exercise caution and steer clear of crowded places, assuring that security measures are being implemented to counter potential dangers.

Specialized teams, including those from the command’s explosive ordinance disposal and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear units, have been deployed to key locations.

Kiyawa has encouraged residents to report any suspicious behaviour and collaborate with law enforcement to safeguard lives and property in Kano State. Emergency contact numbers have also been made available for urgent situations.