Kano police have arrested 27-year-old Usman Lawan Baba, alias “Yellow,” over the 2022 abduction of Garun Babba’s village head.
The suspect confessed and named accomplices, some already neutralized by security forces.
The Kano State Police Command has apprehended a suspect believed to be involved in the 2022 abduction of the Village Head of Garun Babba, Alhaji Abdulmumini Mudi Zakari.
The traditional ruler was kidnapped on August 9, 2022, during an attack in which the assailants stole ₦2.75 million, a mobile phone, and a wristwatch. Following a swift response from the police, the victim was later rescued unharmed while three motorcycles used by the kidnappers were recovered.
Police spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed the breakthrough in a statement issued on Saturday, October 4, 2025. He identified the arrested suspect as 27-year-old Usman Lawan Baba, popularly known as “Yellow,” from Dakatsalle in Bebeji Local Government Area of the state.
According to Kiyawa, the suspect was captured on October 2, 2025, around 6 p.m. during a follow-up operation by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad. He reportedly confessed to his role in the crime and admitted receiving ₦6,000 as his share of the ransom money.
Kiyawa added that Baba also revealed the identities of his accomplices. Among them was one Bello Kici-Kici of Falgore Village in Doguwa LGA, who was later killed by police during another kidnapping operation in Jigawa State, where an AK-47 rifle was recovered. Another suspect, identified as Mallam Sale from Gezawa LGA, was neutralized during a robbery, while a third accomplice, Ruwa Shehu of Gafan Village, is currently serving time for a separate kidnapping offence.
The police said others named in connection with the crime including Ibrahim Gwanja, Sule Naye, and one unidentified individual are under investigation.
Kano Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended officers for their professionalism and praised residents for their cooperation. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state and urged the public to report any suspicious activity using the command’s emergency contacts: 08032419754, 08123821575, or 09029292926.
