Katsina Businessman, Pregnant Wife, Daughter Regain Freedom After ₦50m Ransom

The Katsina State Police Command has confirmed the release of a businessman, his seven-month pregnant wife, and their two-year-old daughter, three weeks after they were abducted from their residence in Katsina city.

Their freedom, first reported by Daily Trust, came on Wednesday night following the payment of a ₦50 million ransom. A relative of the family, who requested anonymity, said: “Alhamdulillah! Anas, Halimatu, and their daughter have been released by their captors tonight. They are on their way home.”

The victims were kidnapped on August 26 from their home in Filin Canada Quarters. The abductors initially demanded ₦600 million, later reduced it to ₦100 million, before finally settling for ₦50 million.

Confirming the development, the spokesman of the Katsina Police Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said: “I can confirm they are free, but I am yet to be fully briefed on the situation.”

Katsina, like many states in Nigeria’s northwest, continues to grapple with violent attacks by armed groups commonly referred to as bandits, who routinely raid communities, abduct residents, and demand large ransoms.

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