By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar
A Katsina-based businessman, Alhaji Sidi Usman Baure, has raised concerns over the alleged plan to release a traditional ruler accused of orchestrating the abduction of his wife and infant.
Baure alleged that the suspect, Iliya Mantau, the traditional ruler of Mantau in Daura Emirate, masterminded the abduction, which led to his wife being assaulted before he was forced to pay a ₦20 million ransom for her release.
According to Baure, the incident occurred on October 21, 2022, when armed men stormed his residence multiple times searching for him. Failing to find him, they kidnapped his wife and child under Mantau’s directive, demanding ₦100 million in ransom and plotting to kill him over a land dispute.
Baure accused Mantau of unlawfully seizing lands and farmlands from residents, leading him and others to assist victims in reclaiming their properties through legal means.
He further stated that after paying the ransom, his personal efforts helped track down and apprehend some of the kidnappers, who later confessed to law enforcement that Mantau had ordered the crime.
Despite Mantau’s arrest with the support of security agencies, Baure claimed that powerful politicians and traditional rulers were pushing for his release without facing justice.
Calling on Katsina State Governor Malam Dikko Umar Radda, Baure urged the government to intervene and ensure justice prevails, warning that impunity fuels insecurity in the state.
