Kidnapped four-year-old boy killed in Borno despite ransom payment

Alhaji Bakura, the father of a four-year-old boy, Baba Mohammed, has revealed how his son was allegedly kidnapped and killed by his neighbour in Maiduguri, Borno State, after payment of N250,000 ransom

Bakura told Daily Trust that he didn’t know the offence that made the neighbour, one Abati Buba, to commit the alleged crime. The incident happened in the Gwange area of Maiduguri.

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He explained that his son went missing on a Friday evening and the following morning, someone called him, demanding a ransom for the release of his son.

Bakura said he paid the sum of N240,000 as negotiated and the kidnappers assured him of his son’s safe return, only to discover later that the boy had been killed and his corpse dumped near his house.

Buba was said to have been arrested by officials of the Department of State Services.

Bakura said, “My late son was four years old. He got missing on Friday, March 5, and we searched everywhere but we couldn’t find him. The following morning (Saturday), we received a call from the kidnappers, demanding a ransom. We agreed to pay N250,000.

“We agreed to meet somewhere at Tashan Bama area but later he asked me to pay into his account which was sent to me. I made the payment.

“We were waiting for him to call us but he didn’t. I tried to reach him but he had switched off the phone. So, on Sunday morning I was going to the mosque to pray when I saw people gathered. I checked and it was my son’s dead body that was dropped near my house.

“We never knew it was my neighbour that abducted my son, collected ransom and later killed him. The DSS arrested him (Abati Buba) and he confessed that he kidnapped Mohammed and killed him.” Alhaji Bakura narrated.

Reacting, Chairman of the Civil Society Organisation Borno State, Comrade Bulama Abuso, urged security agencies to immediately unravel circumstances surrounding the boy’s murder and ensure proper prosecution of the perpetrator.

He said, “We are standing with the family. We condole with the parents and want to assure them that we shall pursue this case to a logical conclusion. We will ensure that justice is served.”