Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Niger State Police Command has launched an intensive manhunt for a private security guard, Sani Abdulrahman, who allegedly abducted his employer’s six‑year‑old twin sons, Umar and Anas, after taking them out under the pretext of celebrating Eid‑el‑Kabir. The children’s father, Alhaji Danjuma, a businessman residing in the Brighter Area of Minna, the state capital, reported that the security guard took the boys on a motorcycle around 1 pm on Sunday, 31 May 2026, saying he was taking them for Sallah festivities in town. When the boys failed to return after several hours, family members launched a desperate search, visiting hospitals across the metropolis fearing they might have been involved in an accident. It later emerged that the children might have been taken to a forest, and a ransom demand was subsequently made.
According to police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun, the suspect, a Fulani by tribe, had been employed as a private security guard at the family’s residence. Preliminary investigations revealed that Abdulrahman took the children while their father was away from home. “The security man pretended that he was taking the children out for Salah celebrations in town, but since then, they have not returned,” Abiodun told newsmen. He confirmed that the case was referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Minna, on 1 June 2026, and that investigations are ongoing. The police have intensified efforts to track down the suspect and rescue the boys.
The father of the children, Alhaji Danjuma, told reporters that after the children failed to return, he began receiving calls from individuals claiming to be operating from the Erena Forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. “Later in the evening, some people called me, telling me that my two children were in Erena Forest and demanded ransom for their release,” he said. The distraught father appealed to the state government, security agencies and members of the public to assist in securing the safe return of his sons. “I am appealing to the government and security agencies to help rescue my children. We are also calling on Nigerians to pray for their safe return,” he said.
The incident has heightened concerns over the growing audacity of criminal elements in Niger State, where kidnapping for ransom remains a persistent threat. The Erena Forest, where the children are allegedly being held, has become a notorious hideout for bandits and kidnappers operating across the Shiroro axis. The police have assured the public that investigations are ongoing, and efforts to locate the children and apprehend the suspect are being pursued relentlessly. As of Thursday, 4 June 2026, the twins remain in captivity.
The case has drawn reactions from civil society groups, who have called for stricter screening of security personnel and improved intelligence gathering to prevent such incidents. Security analysts have noted that the use of private guards, who often have access to family members, underscores the vulnerability of households in the face of economic hardship and insecurity. The police have urged citizens to remain vigilant and to verify the backgrounds of individuals employed in sensitive positions within their homes.
As the search for Umar and Anas continues, their family holds onto the hope that the twins will be reunited with them soon. For now, the only certainty is that the boys, who left home on a festive Sunday afternoon with a trusted employee, have not returned.
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