The Kano State Police Command has successfully apprehended a 27-year-old man named Usman Lawan Baba, popularly known as “Yellow,” in connection with the 2023 abduction of Alhaji Abdulmumini Mudi Zakari, the Village Head of Garun Babba.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Saturday. The suspect was detained on October 2 in Dakatsalle, within the Bebeji local government area, nearly two years after the crime was committed.
According to the statement, the arrest relates to a kidnapping and armed robbery case involving the Village Head of Garun Babba, which took place on August 9, 2023.
During the ordeal, the victim was abducted and robbed of ₦2.75 million, a Tecno Kevo 4 mobile phone, and a wristwatch before being rescued by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad operatives.
SP Kiyawa disclosed that the suspect admitted his involvement in the crime and confessed to receiving ₦6,000 as his portion of the stolen money. He also provided information about his accomplices, some of whom have been neutralized by police operations or are currently in custody.
“Usman Lawan Baba has confessed to his role in the crime and acknowledged receiving six thousand naira (₦6,000) as his share. He identified several collaborators, including Bello9 Kici-Kici from Falgore Village, Doguwa LGA, Kano State, who was neutralized by police during a kidnapping operation in Jigawa State, where an AK-47 rifle was recovered,” the statement detailed.
“Other suspects include Mallam Sale from Gezawa LGA, who was neutralized during an armed robbery incident in Gezawa, and Ruwa Shehu of Gafan Village, Bebeji LGA, currently detained for a kidnapping-related offense. Additional individuals such as Ibrahim Gwanja, Sule Naye, and an unidentified person are also linked to the case and remain under investigation,” the statement added.
The police command assured the public that the suspect will be formally charged in court once the investigation is finalized.