Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 60-year-old man, Abdullahi Abubakar, for allegedly kidnapping a 16-year-old boy, Usman Dauda, in Zigau Village, Shira Local Government Area of the state, and rescued the victim unhurt during a swift operation that police said prevented the teenager from being taken to Kano.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday. Habib said that at about 10 p.m. on September 28, 2026, the Yana Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress report from the victim's 50-year-old father that his son had been abducted from Misau town to Bangala Village by Abubakar. According to Habib, the suspect allegedly intended to take the teenager to Kano for yet-to-be-ascertained reasons. "Upon receipt of the report, detectives swiftly mobilised to the scene, successfully rescued the victim unhurt and arrested the suspect," Habib said. "Thereafter, the victim was taken to General Hospital Yana for medical examination." The PPRO added that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect confessed to unlawfully confining the victim in his room for a day without proper feeding.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Bauchi, for discreet investigation and prosecution, following a directive from the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu. The police spokesperson said the command remained resolute in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property and urged members of the public to continue to provide timely and credible information to the police.
The arrest and rescue operation form part of a broader pattern of police activity in Bauchi State, where kidnapping has remained a persistent security challenge. On the same day as the Yana operation, operatives attached to the 'A' Division arrested five suspects at Doya Quarters, Bauchi, at about 4:30 p.m. for alleged criminal conspiracy, trespass, housebreaking, mischief and theft. The suspects had allegedly invaded an incomplete building and carted away windows and glass before the arrival of the owner. In a separate operation, police at the 'A' Division arrested suspects seen with stolen items concealed in a black bag at about 5:30 a.m., and the owners later traced the items to the division with proofs of ownership for identification and collection.
The kidnapping case in Bauchi reflects the wider security crisis in Nigeria's North-East and North-Central regions, where armed groups have continued to target rural communities despite sustained military and police operations. In September 2026 alone, troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation WUTAN DAJI rescued eight kidnapped victims during a clearance operation in Kumbodoro Forest and surrounding communities in Bauchi State. The Defence Headquarters disclosed that troops rescued more than 60 kidnapped victims and arrested 44 suspects during nationwide operations conducted between September 18 and 24, 2026, with three suspected kidnappers killed during an ambush in Bauchi State and six kidnap victims rescued. The operations also targeted oil theft and secessionist violence, reflecting the multiplicity of security threats confronting the country.
The Bauchi State Police Command has also recorded significant arrests in its campaign against kidnapping. On September 11, 2026, operatives of the 'B' Division, GRA, arrested a 53-year-old man, Gambo Hassan, alias "Anahaka," a resident of Igbo Quarters, Bauchi, during a routine patrol along Adamu Jumba Road. Hassan was alleged to have kidnapped, raped and robbed 35 women in Bauchi metropolis. In April 2026, two relatives were arrested over the kidnapping and murder of a nine-year-old boy, Barhama Abubakar, who was abducted on March 21, 2026, with the suspects demanding a ransom of N1 million. In June 2026, the command arrested two suspects for alleged conspiracy and kidnapping following a formal complaint lodged by a 45-year-old father, a resident of Gida Dudu Housing Estate, Bauchi.
The human cost of kidnapping in Nigeria is borne most heavily by families and communities, who often endure agonising waits for the safe return of their loved ones. In the Bauchi case, the victim's father reported the abduction within hours of the incident, a decision that police said enabled the swift mobilisation of detectives and the successful rescue of the teenager. The victim was taken to General Hospital Yana for medical examination, where he was assessed following his day of captivity. The suspect, who police said confessed to unlawfully confining the teenager without proper feeding, is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
For the people of Shira Local Government Area, the rescue represents a measure of reassurance that the police are responding to kidnapping threats with urgency. For the Bauchi State Police Command, it is one more success in a campaign that has produced multiple arrests and rescues in recent months. For the wider Nigerian public, the case is a reminder that kidnapping remains a clear and present danger, and that the timely provision of information to security agencies can make the difference between a family's nightmare and a safe return.
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