Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Suspected kidnappers have abducted a 10-year-old boy from his family home in Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State and are demanding a ransom for his release, according to multiple security sources. The incident occurred at approximately 5:20 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2026, when four armed men stormed the residence of Bukar Umar in Andarashi village, a rural settlement near Babbangida in the northeastern state.
The assailants, armed with bows and arrows, cutlasses and sticks, forcibly took away the victim, identified as Abdullahi Isa, before fleeing to an unknown destination. Security analyst Zagazola Makama, who first reported the incident, confirmed that the kidnappers later contacted the family by telephone and demanded a ransom for the boy's release. The specific amount demanded has not been disclosed by authorities.
Following the report, the Yobe State Police Command deployed a team of officers to the area, while the Officer-in-Charge of the State Investigation Department was directed to commence technical tracking of the telephone number allegedly used by the kidnappers. Police sources confirmed that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim unharmed and apprehend those responsible for the abduction. Investigations into the incident are continuing, though no arrests have been announced as of Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
The abduction of the 10-year-old boy in Andarashi village underscores the persistent security challenges facing rural communities in Yobe State, which has experienced a series of kidnapping incidents in recent months. On July 12, 2026, the Yobe State Police Command arrested two suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered 26 stolen goats in Gujba Local Government Area. Earlier on July 1, 2026, the command rescued four female kidnap victims in Fika Local Government Area. Just days before the latest incident, on July 21, 2026, gunmen killed a 300-level university student and abducted five others in Edo State. In May 2026, coordinated attacks across several states left children abducted and teachers killed, with gunmen storming three schools in Borno State and abducting more than 50 children, many of them toddlers and nursery pupils.
The recurring violence has drawn criticism from civil society groups. In May 2026, the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) decried the rising incidents of child abductions and disappearances in states such as Borno, Yobe and Oyo, warning that many children had been left exposed to captivity, displacement, trauma, exploitation and denial of access to education, healthcare and social welfare. The group described the situation as one where "insecurity has stolen childhood from Nigerian children".
The abduction of Abdullahi Isa has heightened anxiety among residents of Andarashi village and surrounding communities, who now fear further attacks. The deployment of police operatives and the initiation of technical tracking of the kidnappers' phone number offer some hope that the boy may be rescued soon, but the demand for ransom highlights the financial motives driving much of the kidnapping in the region. As the search continues, the family and community await news of the boy's fate, while security agencies work to ensure his safe return and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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