Police Arrest Two Suspected Kidnappers, Rescue 10-Year-Old Boy in Sokoto
By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi
The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers in separate operations and rescued a 10-year-old boy allegedly abducted in Tangaza Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said one of the suspects, Abdullahi Buba, popularly known as “Osho,” was arrested on August 8 following a raid on a suspected criminal hideout in Tudun Doki Village, Gwadabawa LGA.
He said the operation, conducted around 2pm, followed credible intelligence received by the command.
According to the police, preliminary investigations linked Buba to a notorious kidnapping syndicate allegedly responsible for abductions and the collection of illegal levies from communities in Gwadabawa, Kware and Gada LGAs.
The command said the suspect was cooperating with investigators to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate who remain at large.
In another operation, police rescued 10-year-old Muhammad Sufiyanu after he was reported missing in Gidan Madi Town, Tangaza LGA.
The boy’s uncle, Sani Ibrahim, reported the incident at Gidan Madi Police Station on August 11.
Rufai said detectives from the division later intercepted two men riding a motorcycle at about 11pm and carrying a concealed sack.
He said the suspects fled when officers challenged them, abandoning the sack, which was subsequently found to contain the missing boy.
The child was rescued alive and taken to Gidan Madi General Hospital, where he received treatment before being discharged.
Police said the boy told investigators that one of the suspects lured him into a room, injected him with a sedative and subsequently forced him into the sack.
The command said one suspect had been arrested and confessed to the alleged offence, while crime scene investigators had visited the area as part of the investigation.
The police said investigations into both cases were continuing.
Commissioner of Police Hayatu Hassan Shaffa commended the officers for their efforts and appealed to residents to provide timely and credible information that could assist security operations.
He also assured residents that the command would continue to intensify efforts to protect lives and property across the state.
