The Borno State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with the abduction of an 8-year-old girl in Maiduguri, with investigators revealing that the girl’s uncle masterminded the crime.
ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, the command’s spokesperson, said the girl was kidnapped on November 4, 2025, while returning home from school in the Gomari area. Her captors demanded a ransom of N3 million, which was paid in cryptocurrency. She was released three days later, on November 7.
“The Borno State Police Command, under CP Naziru Abdulmajid, has made a significant breakthrough with the arrest of five individuals linked to this heinous act,” the statement read.
The suspects—Mustapha Mohammed, 20; Ismail Shuaibu, 25; Abdul Mohammed Bulama, 23; Amina Ibrahim, 19; and Lawan Yusuf Hassan, 25—were apprehended between November 29 and December 4, following an intensive, intelligence-driven investigation by the Command’s Crack Squad.
Police investigations revealed that Mustapha Mohammed, the victim’s uncle, orchestrated the kidnapping with the help of Shuaibu and Bulama. The girl was reportedly lured into several tricycles (Keke Napep) to confuse her and conceal the route. She was later taken to a tailor to change into a plain dress, with her school uniform discarded.
The suspects then moved her to a hotel along Pompomari Bypass, where Amina Ibrahim posed as the child’s mother alongside Shuaibu, who pretended to be her father. The child was reportedly sedated and held in captivity until the ransom was paid.
Further investigation traced the cryptocurrency transaction to Lawan Yusuf Hassan, who claimed to be an IT technician and facilitated the payment.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing to recover the ransom and identify other potential accomplices. CP Naziru Abdulmajid commended the Crack Squad for their swift and professional response, emphasizing the command’s zero-tolerance policy for kidnapping and violent crimes.
“Criminals should desist from such acts or face the full weight of the law,” the police statement warned.