The Nigeria police Command in Bauchi State has arrested a 20-year-old suspect in connection with the abduction and killing of a four-year-old boy in Bauchi metropolis.
The Command’s spokesman, SP Nafiu Habib, explained in a statement that detectives from ‘C’ Divisional Headquarters carried out the arrest following a complaint lodged on March 21 by one Salisu Yunusa of Nasarawa Madina Quarters.
Habib revealed that the complainant reported that his son, Yunusa Salisu, went missing on March 18 at about 9:30 a.m., adding that the father subsequently received a call on March 19 from a private number demanding a ransom of N500,000.
“The father paid N100,000 but did not recover the child”.
He said investigation by the police led to the arrest of the suspect, identified as Rabiu Safiyanu, 20, who is a friend of the complainant’s younger brother and had unrestricted access to the family’s residence.
According to him, the suspect confessed to abducting the child, killing him, and then demanding ransom to conceal the crime.
Habib further revealed that the victim’s decomposing body was recovered at Warinje Hills, with visible marks of strangulation, while a rope suspected to have been used in the act was also found at the scene.
“The Officer in Charge of the Police Clinic certified the victim dead. The body was photographed and subsequently released to relatives for burial on site due to public health concerns,” according to the police.
The statement also said the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to take over the case to ensure a thorough and discreet investigation, as well as prosecution of the suspect.
He also quoted the commissioner as urging residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities in their Communities to the police who have also taken the suspect into custody for prosecution.
