UPDATED: Kidnapped Kaduna cleric, Sheikh Algarkawi, freed

The Kaduna Islamic cleric kidnapped last week, Ahmad Algarkawi, has been freed, the police said on Sunday.

Mukhtar Aliyu, the spokesman for the police in Kaduna, confirmed the release to PREMIUM TIMES.

“Yes the sheikh has been rescued by the police in Kaduna. And as far as I know there was no ransom paid,” Mr Aliyu said.

He said the cleric was rescued on Sunday.

Mr Aliyu later told the News Agency of Nigeria that two suspects were arrested in connection with the clecic’s abduction.

“The two suspects are under investigation and the other suspects are under our trail,” he said.

Mr Algarkawi, a resident of Kinkinau area of Kaduna State, was kidnapped on Thursday afternoon.

He was Kidnapped at his farm at Nariya, a community along Kaduna eastern bye-pass. Some of his students were also reportedly abducted, although the police did not confirm that.

Musa Aliyu, a student of the cleric, confirmed he had been freed.

” We have been praying since Thursday and thank Allah the sheikh is now freed. He returned to his family at about 6 p.m.”