A 14-year-old girl has allegedly confessed to staging her own abduction, along with that of her 4-year-old sister, in what authorities describe as a fake kidnapping scheme.
According to the Katsina State Police Command, the teenager is suspected to be part of a kidnapping syndicate and is said to have demanded a ransom of ₦50 million from her parents to secure their release.
In a statement Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu confirmed that four months after the incident was reported, the teenage girl resurfaced. Her return led to the arrest of her collaborators and the safe rescue of her younger sister.
The statement reads: “The Katsina State Police Command has successfully dismantled a kidnapping syndicate, arresting four members, rescuing a 4-year-old victim, and recovering one live round of AK-47 ammunition as evidence.
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“The facts of the case are that, on February 20, 2025, the Command received a complaint from one Alhaji Badamasi Bala of Madaci Yan Nono Quarters, Katsina, regarding the kidnapping of his two daughters, aged 14 and 4. A ransom of ₦50 million was demanded by the kidnappers.
“Upon receiving the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Bello Shehu, directed the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit to commence a thorough investigation.
“About four months later, the older daughter reappeared. During questioning, she confessed to conspiring with three others to kidnap her 4-year-old sister and to fake her own abduction.”
Police said the three co-conspirators aged 25, 19, and 16 were arrested. The 4-year-old was rescued unharmed. All suspects confessed to the crime.
A live round of 7.62mm ammunition was recovered during the investigation.
The Commissioner of Police commended the officers’ efforts and urged the public to support the Command’s crime-fighting initiatives by reporting suspicious activities promptly.
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