Authorities in Bauchi Discover Body of Kidnapped Minor

A 20-year-old suspect, Rabiu Safiyanu, has been apprehended by the Bauchi State Police Command in connection with the alleged abduction and killing of a four-year-old boy, Yunusa Salisu, according to the command's spokesperson, Nafiu Habib.

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The suspect was arrested by detectives from the 'C' Divisional Headquarters, Bauchi, following a report of a missing child filed on March 21, 2026, by the victim's father, Salisu Yunusa, a resident of Nasarawa Madina Quarters.

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Salisu Yunusa reported that his son had gone missing on March 18, and he subsequently received a ransom demand of N500,000 from an unknown caller on March 19, paying N100,000, but the child was not released.

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An investigation into the matter led to the arrest of Rabiu Safiyanu, a 20-year-old friend of the complainant's younger brother, who had unrestricted access to the house, as stated in the command's statement.

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During interrogation, the suspect confessed to abducting the child, strangling him, and burying his body in a shallow grave at Warinje Hills, before making further ransom demands, according to Nafiu Habib.

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The decomposing body of the victim was later recovered from the site, with visible signs of strangulation, and a rope suspected to have been used in the crime was also found at the scene.

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The Officer in Charge of the Police Clinic confirmed the child dead, after which the body was documented and released to the family for burial at the site on public health grounds.

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The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to take over the case for further investigation and prosecution.

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The command has urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies, as this development comes less than four days after the command announced the arrest of four siblings in connection with the alleged killing of a security guard.

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The incident of the security guard's killing reportedly occurred in the early hours of March 15, 2026, when hunters raised the alarm over an attack on three private guards at a farm owned by Idris Waziri Kwamawa in Jama'are Local Government Area.