Kano Police Arrest Suspect Nicknamed 'Sankolo' Over Phone Snatching and Kidnapping of Nine-Year-Old

Police in Kano State have detained a man described as a wanted thug, Abubakar Isma'il, widely known as 'Sankolo', in connection with the reported kidnapping of a nine-year-old boy in Rimin Kebe. The command's spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna, announced the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday, November 8, 2026, saying the suspect has also admitted involvement in multiple incidents of thuggery, robbery of mobile phones, and attacks and intimidation against local residents. Isma'il, aged 22, was taken into custody on November 6 by officers attached to the Zango Police Division operating under Operation Kuka. According to the police public relations officer, the suspect is a leading figure of interest in the abduction of Ubaidu Sammani, 9, the son of Alhaji Sammani of Rimin Kebe, on July 3, 2026. Some of those said to have acted with him have already appeared in court, where proceedings continue. The statement explained that the arrest followed the earlier detention of Umar Usman, known as 'Ta'ambo', in Rimin Kebe and surrounding communities, and was carried out on the instructions of the Commissioner of Police for Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, PhD, sfipma, mnim, mnips, masis. After 'Ta'ambo' was arrested on November 5, 2026, the statement said, careful investigation and useful intelligence pointed officers toward the second suspect. At roughly 2130hrs on November 6, 2026, teams from the Zango Police Division moved into Rimin Kebbe under 'Operation Kukan Kura' and detained Abubakar Isma'il, male, 22, of Rimin Kebbe Quarters, Kano, commonly called 'Sankolo'. The statement described him as a notorious thug who appears on the command's wanted list as a ringleader of thuggery-related activity in and around Rimin Kebbe Quarters, and as a principal suspect in a kidnapping case in which his alleged accomplices have already been charged to court and are being tried. He was strongly suspected of abducting the nine-year-old Ubaidu Sammani, son of Alhaji Sammani of Rimin Kebbe, on July 3, 2026, the statement said. During preliminary investigation, the suspect admitted to a range of thuggery activities and mobile phone robbery in Rimin Kebbe and nearby areas, where he coordinated attacks, intimidated residents and seized phones along with other valuables, according to the police. Residents and community leaders in the affected areas were quoted as calling the arrest another significant breakthrough, and as expressing hope that it will end thuggery in Rimin Kebe and its surroundings. The suspect remains in police custody while a discreet investigation continues. The statement said efforts are under way to apprehend other members of his gang, to recover stolen property and the arms used in the crimes, and to establish his role in other reported cases. Once the investigation is concluded, he will be brought before a court, it added. The Commissioner of Police praised officers of the Zango Division for their professionalism, vigilance and prompt action, and thanked members of the public for their continued cooperation and for supplying reliable information. The command restated its commitment to freeing Kano State of thuggery, phone snatching, kidnapping, attacks on security personnel and every form of violent crime. Members of the public were urged to stay alert and to report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station or through the command's emergency lines: 08032419754, 08123821575 and 09029292926.