Man Arrested For Allegedly Abducting, Killing Bauchi Minor

Police operatives in Bauchi State have arrested Rabi’u Safiyanu, 20, a resident of Madina Quarters, for allegedly abducting and killing a four-year-old, Yunusa Salisu.

Safiyanu allegedly received about N100,000 ransom from Salisu’s father after demanding about N500,000 before the release of the victim.

The Bauchi State Police Command spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said Salisu’s father became concerned about the non-release of his son after paying the initial N100,000 and reported the matter at the ‘C’ Divisional Police Headquarters, Bauchi.

Habib said the investigation led to the arrest of Safiyanu, who is a friend of the complainant’s younger brother, with free access to the house.

In a press statement he sent to reporters in Bauchi yesterday, Habib said Safiyanu confessed to taking the victim, strangling him and dumping the body at Warinje Hills. The suspect also admitted to demanding additional ransom.

Habib said, “The police recovered the decomposing corpse with marks of strangulation and a rope suspected to have been used in the act.

“The officer in charge of the Police Clinic certified the victim dead. The body was photographed and subsequently released to the relatives and buried on site for public health safety,” the statement read.

He said the suspect was in police custody, adding that the commissioner of police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, had directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to take over the case and ensure a timely, discreet investigation and prosecution.

The police boss charged the residents to always observe people around them and report any suspicious activities to security agencies.