A former Senior Special Adviser on Community Development to the Katsina State Governor, Nuru Aliyu Garwa, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in a kidnapping case currently under investigation in the state.
Garwa, who recently resigned from his position to contest for a seat in the State House of Assembly, was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit in Katsina State following the abduction of an eight-year-old boy.
According to sources, the child was kidnapped on May 13 while returning home from a Quranic school. The abductors later contacted the family and initially demanded a ransom of N50 million for the boy’s release.
After negotiations, the ransom was reportedly reduced to N17 million, which the family eventually paid to secure the child’s freedom.
Following the payment, the family reportedly contacted the Violent Crime Response Unit, which immediately launched an investigation into the incident.
The investigation led to the arrest of six suspected kidnappers on May 23. Security operatives said information obtained from the suspects later led to the arrest of Garwa on May 24, whom they described as the alleged leader of the group.
During a search of his residence, operatives reportedly recovered N7.5 million kept inside a “Ghana Must Go” bag, which investigators suspect may be his share of the ransom proceeds.
Authorities also said they recovered a motorcycle allegedly used during operations, alongside other items linked to the kidnapping activities.
Security sources noted that investigations are still ongoing as operatives continue efforts to uncover the full extent of the operation and identify any additional suspects connected to the case.
