A three-year-old girl has been reunited with her family after spending about two weeks in captivity, following the arrest of a 26-year-old woman accused of abducting her and demanding N10 million for her release in Zamfara State.

The suspect, identified as the victim’s paternal aunt, was taken into custody on November 10 in Bela District, Bungudu Local Government Area, after police intelligence operatives identified her as a suspect in the kidnapping, according to a report by Channels Television.

The child’s father, Abdulganiyu Sahabi, had alerted the police on October 30, two days after his daughter disappeared. He subsequently received a ransom demand of N10 million from an unidentified caller using a concealed telephone number.

Police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, said in a statement on Friday that the investigation involved intelligence gathering, technical analysis and collaboration with security partners, leading to the child’s recovery and the suspect’s arrest.

The suspect reportedly admitted involvement in the abduction during interrogation. Investigators are continuing efforts to establish the circumstances of the incident and determine whether additional suspects were involved.

The girl was medically examined before being reunited with her parents on November 12. Commissioner of Police Ahmad Bello praised the officers involved in the operation and urged residents to report suspicious activities to security agencies.