Two Suspected Bandits Neutralised, N10m Ransom Recovered in Kano as Kidnap Victim Regains Freedom

By Ladan Muhamma

Two suspected bandits have been neutralised, while ₦10 million paid as ransom has been recovered following an ambush by local hunters in Falgore Forest, Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The Kano State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, October 17, 2026, by its Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, ANIPR, MNISMA, FNACSP.

According to the statement, the incident occurred at about midnight when three suspected bandits, believed to have emerged from Falgore Forest, came out to collect a ₦10 million ransom demanded for the release of a kidnapped victim, identified as 45-year-old Kabiru Aliyu of Falgore Village in Doguwa LGA.

Aliyu was reportedly abducted on September 11, 2026, and had spent days in captivity before his release.

The police said the victim was freed unharmed after the suspects collected the ransom. However, while the suspects were returning to their hideout in Falgore Forest, they were ambushed by local hunters popularly known as Yan Bula.

The encounter reportedly left two of the suspected bandits neutralised, while the third escaped with injuries.

The entire ransom sum of ₦10 million was recovered intact from the neutralised suspects, according to the police statement.

Preliminary investigations identified one of the deceased suspects as Dogo Isah, a commercial motorcycle rider popularly known as an Okada rider, from Maigwanda Village in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, PhD, commended the local hunters for their resilience and contributions to security operations in the Falgore Forest axis.

Bakori noted that the hunters’ efforts continued to complement Operation Kukan Kura, the police-led operation targeting kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in the state.

The Commissioner of Police has directed the Area Commander, Divisional Police Officers and tactical teams operating within the area to immediately intensify searches for the fleeing suspect and recover any weapons that may have been used by the criminal group.

The police command confirmed that the rescued victim had been debriefed, medically examined and reunited with his family.

Reaffirming the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, the police urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information that could assist security agencies in combating crime across the state.