Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the political and security circles of Katsina State, a former Special Adviser on Community Development to Governor Dikko Radda has been arrested for allegedly masterminding the abduction of an eight‑year‑old boy – and then sharing in the ₦17 million ransom his own family paid for the child’s release. Security operatives on 24 May 2026 finally closed the net on Nuru Aliyu Garwa after a painstaking intelligence‑led operation that began when the victim’s mother contacted the Katsina State Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following her son’s release. What investigators uncovered was not a random criminal network, but a syndicate that allegedly had a direct line to a man who once held a senior community‑development role in the very government that now stands ready to prosecute him. The case has now placed Garwa – who resigned his appointment only weeks before the abduction to contest for a seat in the Katsina State House of Assembly – at the centre of an unfolding scandal that links political ambition to the dark world of ransom kidnapping.
The eight‑year‑old victim was snatched on the evening of 13 May 2026 while returning home from a Quranic school in the Sardauna Estate area of the Katsina metropolis. According to a police source familiar with the investigation, the boy’s family was contacted by the kidnappers the following day and initially presented with a staggering demand: ₦50 million. After a period of fraught negotiation, the ransom was reduced to ₦17 million, which the family eventually paid. The child was released – but unlike the vast majority of such cases, the family did not let the matter rest. Instead, they approached the newly established VCRU, setting in motion a chain of events that would soon expose the alleged mastermind hiding in plain sight.
On 23 May 2026, operatives acting on intelligence gathered from the victim’s family arrested six suspects. They were identified as Nura Aliyu (39), Abubakar Aminu (37), Ibrahim Muhammad (51), Iliyasu Sani (51), Abubakar Muhammad (27) and Abdullahi Isma’il (30). One suspect identified only as “Abdul” remains at large. During interrogation, the suspects not only confessed to their roles in the abduction, but also provided information that led investigators to a name they had not previously considered: Nuru Aliyu Garwa, the former governor’s aide. “The arrest of the initial suspects provided further intelligence that led operatives to the alleged kingpin,” a security source told Security Digest. Garwa, who had resigned his appointment only weeks earlier to contest for a House of Assembly seat, was arrested the following day, 24 May 2026.
When security operatives searched Garwa’s residence, they made a discovery that turned the case from a simple kidnapping into a full‑blown corruption scandal. Concealed inside a “Ghana‑Must‑Go” bag, they found ₦7.5 million in cash – money believed to be part of the ₦17 million ransom paid by the victim’s family. Investigators also recovered a motorcycle allegedly used by the syndicate for operational activities. The cash, the motorcycle and the arrest of a former government aide still in his political prime have dramatically raised the profile of a case that might otherwise have been treated as just another kidnapping statistic in the North‑West.
Garwa’s position prior to his resignation was Senior Special Assistant on the Community Development Programme (CDP) under Governor Dikko Radda. In that role, he was responsible for coordinating development interventions intended to benefit the very communities that have become the primary targets of kidnapping gangs. According to a statement issued by the Katsina State Ministry of Information and Culture, Garwa had been suspended from his position earlier over allegations involving the diversion of empowerment materials intended for communities in Batsari Local Government Area – a fact that the government has since confirmed while distancing itself from the current criminal allegations. His subsequent resignation to pursue a political career, combined with his alleged involvement in a kidnapping syndicate, has prompted a wave of public outrage and raised uncomfortable questions about the screening processes for political office seekers in the state.
Governor Dikko Radda has publicly described the development as “unfortunate” and commended security agencies for their response. However, the state government has also taken care to distance itself from its former appointee. A statement from the Ministry of Information and Culture noted that Garwa had been suspended from his official duties before his resignation, and that the government had no prior knowledge of his alleged criminal activities. The statement added that the government would not interfere with the ongoing investigation and would allow the law to take its course.
The case has generated widespread reactions within the state, particularly because of the suspect’s previous role in government and his political aspirations. Many residents have expressed shock that a figure so embedded in community‑facing programmes could be at the centre of a kidnapping network operating within the same communities. Others have questioned whether Garwa was a rogue operator or whether his case points to a deeper infiltration of political structures by criminal networks. The police have not yet released a full list of all items recovered from Garwa’s residence, and investigations are continuing to determine whether other government officials or political actors were involved in the syndicate.
Garwa remains in police custody. No formal charge has been filed as of Friday, 29 May 2026, but police sources say the case file is being prepared for court. The six other suspects arrested earlier are also in custody, and the search for “Abdul” continues. The Katsina State Police Command has stated that it will not tolerate any form of criminality, regardless of the status of those involved, and that the investigation will be pursued to its logical conclusion. For the family of the eight‑year‑old boy, the arrest of the alleged mastermind brings a measure of closure, but the revelation that the person who planned the abduction of their child was once a senior government aide has left them deeply shaken. As one relative put it, “If we cannot trust the people the government appoints, who can we trust?”
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