Borno Police Nab Uncle, Four Others Over Abduction of Eight-Year-Old

The Borno State Police Command has arrested five suspects, including 20-year-old Mustapha Mohammed, who allegedly masterminded the abduction of his eight-year-old niece, drugged her, and collected a ransom of ₦3 million through a cryptocurrency account.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, the suspects were apprehended between November 29 and December 4, 2025, following a discreet and intelligence-driven investigation. The other suspects include Ismail Shuaibu, 25; Abdul Mohammed Bulama, 23; Amina Ibrahim, 19; and Lawan Yusuf Hassan, 25.

The abduction occurred on November 4, 2025, at about 3:00 p.m. when the girl was returning home from school in the Gomari area of Maiduguri. The abductors contacted the victim’s family and demanded a ransom of ₦3 million, which was paid via cryptocurrency. The girl was released on November 7, 2025.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Mustapha Mohammed, the victim’s uncle, orchestrated the kidnapping with the help of Shuaibu and Bulama. The suspects reportedly intercepted the child, moved her through multiple tricycles to conceal their trail, and took her to a tailor who changed her into a plain dress before discarding her school uniform.

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Amina Ibrahim allegedly posed as Shuaibu’s wife and the girl’s mother to gain access to a hotel along the Pompomari Bypass, where the child was held for three days and drugged until the ransom was paid. Further digital tracing led police to Lawan Yusuf Hassan, who facilitated and received the ransom payment.

The case remains under active investigation as the police work to recover the ransom and identify other possible accomplices. The Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Abdulmajid, commended the command’s crack squad for the swift operation and reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for kidnapping and violent crimes.

In a related development, troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area. The girls, aged 15 to 20, were kidnapped on November 23 while harvesting crops and were freed on November 29 following an intelligence-led operation.