By Deborah Nnamdi
The Niger State Police Command has arrested two men in connection with the abduction and brutal killing of a 10-year-old boy in Mariga Local Government Area.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, adding that three suspected motorcycle thieves were also apprehended in a separate operation in Kontagora.
According to Abiodun, the case began on July 24, 2025, when young Yaseer Mustapha of Kwana-Mariga was abducted while his guardian was away on the farm. The kidnappers initially demanded ₦3.5 million ransom.
“After much negotiation, the guardian was able to raise ₦100,000, which he paid into an account provided by the abductors. A month later, he was asked to pay an additional ₦10,000 to one Abdulmajid Dan-Azumi, without any word from the hoodlums afterwards,” the police spokesman explained.
Frustrated by the silence from the kidnappers, the guardian reported the incident to the police in September. The case was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), which tracked down and arrested 32-year-old Abdulmajid Dan-Azumi of Kwana.
His confession led to the arrest of his accomplice, 18-year-old Abdulnafiu Usman, also of Kwana.
“The suspects confessed to the crime, and unfortunately, they killed the boy and buried him in an uncompleted building within the neighbourhood. The operatives were led to the scene, where the decomposed body was recovered and later released to the family for burial,” Abiodun stated.
Both suspects have since been arraigned in court for prosecution, the police confirmed.
