The police in Gombe State have apprehended a man, Mubarak Haladu, accused of abducting and murdering his seven-year-old nephew in the Dadin Kowa community, Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area.
ASP Buhari Abdullahi, spokesperson for the state police command, confirmed the arrest on Friday. He explained that on October 10, a case of kidnapping was filed at Dadin Kowa Police Station by Bello Haladu of Garin Sarki village, who reported that his younger brother had allegedly kidnapped his son.
According to Abdullahi, on October 9, Mubarak contacted his elder brother and demanded a ransom of N1.5 million for the child’s release, initiating an investigation by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). “The case was forwarded to the anti-kidnapping section of SCID for discrete investigation,” Abdullahi stated.
On October 17, police arrested Mubarak, who later confessed to the crime during interrogation. Abdullahi also noted that Mubarak admitted to additional offenses, including breaking into three different shops and stealing around 30 mobile phones. Mubarak reportedly used the SIM card from one of the stolen phones to call his brother, demanding the ransom.
Tragically, on October 18, authorities found the child’s body in an advanced state of decomposition inside an uncompleted building in Dadin Kowa village. The suspect now awaits formal prosecution in court.
In a related incident, Abdullahi reported the arrest of another suspect, Jonathan James, who allegedly stabbed his 65-year-old aunt, Ramatu Musa, to death in Bagadaza Quarters, Gombe. “We received a report that one Jonathan James fatally stabbed his aunty, one Ramatu Musa, of the same address with a sharp knife,” Abdullahi said.
Upon receiving the report, a patrol team from Pantami Division rushed to the scene, where they took Ramatu to Gombe Specialist Hospital. However, she was declared dead on arrival by the medical team. The police recovered a knife as evidence, and the suspect is expected to face court proceedings soon.
