DSS Tactical Team Thwarts N15m Kidnap Plot in Kano
KANO — Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have successfully rescued a five-year-old minor following a daring tactical raid in the Danzaki Village axis of Kano State. The victim, identified as Muhammad Haruna, was abducted on February 12, 2026, from the Minjibir Local Government Area. Security sources confirmed that the abductors demanded a staggering ₦15 million ransom from the victim’s family shortly after the disappearance. However, a DSS tactical unit utilized advanced electronic tracking to pinpoint the kidnappers’ hideout within hours of the formal report. Consequently, the child was recovered unharmed during the operation, which culminated at approximately 7:40 p.m. on Friday.
The agency also apprehended a 20-year-old suspect, Aminu Mukhtar, at the very moment he was allegedly negotiating the ransom payment. Operatives caught Mukhtar with the mobile phone used to communicate with the victim’s father, providing critical material evidence for prosecution. Preliminary questioning revealed that the suspect confessed to the crime, citing the lure of easy financial gain. Furthermore, the DSS has placed the suspect in a high-security detention facility to extract information regarding a wider kidnapping ring. Meanwhile, medical professionals at the command headquarters have begun a comprehensive psychological assessment of the young survivor.
This latest rescue operation highlights the creeping menace of banditry moving from neighboring Katsina into once-quiet Kano corridors. Recent intelligence indicates that criminal elements are increasingly targeting remote border villages to escape intensified military pressure in the Northwest. The DSS has consequently urged community leaders in Minjibir and Shanonu to strengthen local “neighborhood watch” protocols to assist formal security forces. In a related development, the Kano State Government recently promised more budgetary allocation for rural surveillance and drone technology to fortify these vulnerable zones.
Furthermore, the safe recovery of Muhammad Haruna underscores the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing over traditional reactionary methods. By prioritizing “electronic signal intelligence,” the DSS managed to bypass the usual protracted and dangerous ransom negotiations that often end in tragedy. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to ensuring that every individual linked to this specific cell faces the full weight of the law. Ultimately, the successful operation serves as a deterrent to the “lucrative industry” of child abduction currently threatening the social fabric of Northern Nigeria.