Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria – Police authorities in northeastern Nigeria have arrested two young men suspected of abducting a four-year-old child in Adamawa State, a region in the country’s North-East known for both agricultural communities and ongoing security challenges.
The Adamawa State Police Command, which represents the Nigeria Police Force in Adamawa State, confirmed the arrests in a statement released on Friday, March 13, 2026.
According to the police, the case began when a resident of Ngballang village in Numan Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria, reported the disappearance of his son to authorities.
The police spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Suleiman Nguroje, explained that the child’s father, Umar Ibrahim, initially reported the matter to officers at the police station in Numan.
“On the 2nd March 2026, one Umar Ibrahim of Ngballang, Numan LGA, reported at the Police Station in Numan that on the 1st March, 2026, his four-year-old son, by name Ramadan, went out to play but did not return home. All efforts by the family to locate the child initially proved unsuccessful.”
The situation escalated several days later when the father reportedly received a phone call from an unknown individual claiming responsibility for the child’s disappearance.
“Some days later, the complainant received a call from an unknown number informing him that his son had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (₦800,000) (about $530).”
Following the report, investigators from the Numan Divisional Police Headquarters, a local operational unit of the Nigeria Police Force, launched an investigation to track down those responsible.
Okay News reports that police officers eventually identified and arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged kidnapping. The suspects were identified as Sadiq Ali, 19, and Shitu Umar, 23, both residents of Lafiya in Lamurde Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
Police said the suspects were apprehended after investigative efforts linked them to the crime.
During questioning, the suspects reportedly admitted to their involvement in what police authorities described as an organised criminal act.
The police statement said the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Adamawa State Police Command, a specialised investigative unit focused on abduction cases, has now taken over the investigation for further inquiry and necessary legal action.
Authorities said the unit will continue gathering evidence as part of the legal process that could lead to prosecution.
The Adamawa State Police Command also used the opportunity to reassure residents that security agencies remain committed to protecting lives and property across the state.
Police officials urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or security formation to help prevent crimes such as kidnapping.
Kidnapping for ransom has remained a significant security concern in several parts of Nigeria in recent years, prompting law enforcement agencies to intensify surveillance and investigative operations across communities.
