Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Sokoto State Police Command has recorded a dramatic and disturbing breakthrough in its fight against kidnapping, rescuing a 10-year-old boy who had been abducted, sedated, and stuffed into a sack by suspected kidnappers in Tangaza Local Government Area. The victim, Muhammad Sufiyanu, was found alive and responsive inside the sack after detectives intercepted two men on a motorcycle carrying the concealed burden late on the night of August 11, 2026. One suspect has been arrested and has reportedly confessed to the crime.
The ordeal began earlier that day when Sufiyanu vanished from Gidan Madi Town, Tangaza Local Government Area. His uncle, Sani Ibrahim, reported the disappearance at the Gidan Madi Police Station at about 8:00 p.m. on August 11, stating that his 10‑year‑old nephew had been missing since the afternoon. Acting swiftly on the report, surveillance detectives from the Gidan Madi Division, accompanied by the complainant, mounted an operation in the area.
At about 11:00 p.m., the detectives intercepted two suspicious persons travelling on a motorcycle while carrying a suspiciously concealed sack. When challenged by the officers, the suspects reportedly took to their heels, triggering a pursuit. In their desperate attempt to escape, they abandoned the sack and fled into the night. A search of the abandoned sack produced a shocking discovery: the missing 10‑year‑old boy was inside, alive and responsive.
During preliminary investigation, the victim reportedly told the police that one of the suspects had lured him into a room, injected him with a sedative, and subsequently forced him into the sack before attempting to transport him away. The child was immediately taken to Gidan Madi General Hospital, where he received medical attention and was subsequently discharged. One of the suspects has since been arrested in connection with the abduction and, according to the police, has confessed to his involvement in the crime. Crime Scene Investigators have also visited the location connected with the incident as the command intensifies efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attempted abduction and apprehend any other persons involved.
The rescue of young Sufiyanu came in a separate but equally significant operation. In the first operation, operatives of the Anti‑Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a suspected criminal hideout at Tudun Doki Village in Gwadabawa Local Government Area at about 2:00 p.m. on August 8, 2026. The operation resulted in the arrest of a suspected notorious kidnapper identified as Abdullahi Buba, popularly known as “Osho”. Police authorities said preliminary interrogation revealed that Buba was allegedly a key member of a criminal syndicate linked to a series of kidnapping operations and the illegal imposition of levies on residents in Gwadabawa, Kware and Gada local government areas. According to the command, the suspect is currently providing investigators with useful intelligence that could lead to the arrest of other syndicate members who are still at large.
Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, commended the officers and detectives involved in the operations for their courage, vigilance and professional response. Shaffa assured residents that the command would continue to deploy intelligence-led policing and other operational strategies to protect lives and property, while warning criminal elements that the police would relentlessly pursue them wherever they hide. He also urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information.
The rescue of Muhammad Sufiyanu from a sack, alive and responsive after being sedated, stands as a testament to the bravery of the officers involved. But it is also a chilling reminder of the growing brutality of criminal networks in Nigeria’s North‑West, where children are no longer just collateral damage but are being targeted with chilling calculation. The command has vowed to continue its crackdown, and as one suspect provides intelligence and the investigation continues, the hope is that more children will be saved and more criminals brought to justice before another boy is lured into a room, injected, and stuffed into a sack.
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