Police in Borno State have rescued a 7-year-old boy abducted in Maiduguri, arresting five suspects and recovering part of the ransom allegedly paid by his family.

The child was taken from the Chad Basin area of Maiduguri by unknown persons, prompting his distraught father to file a report at the State Criminal Investigation Department. Investigators were told the boy had disappeared in the evening while in the neighbourhood.

Shortly after the abduction, the kidnappers allegedly contacted the victim’s mother using a concealed mobile number. They initially demanded a ransom of N10 million, later reducing the figure to N8 million after negotiations. Under pressure to secure their son’s release, the family paid N1.5 million into a Point of Sale account provided by the suspects.

Police said detectives then turned to digital forensic tools to track the money trail. Their analysis led to the arrest of a PoS operator, identified as Musa Mohammed Bashir, whose account was allegedly used to receive the ransom. His arrest reportedly opened a crucial lead for investigators.

Further coordinated operations by the State Criminal Investigation Department resulted in the arrest of four more suspects: Ali Adam, also known as Abba, 24; Abubakar Sadiq, 29; Abba Goni Abba, 18; and Mohammed Musa, also known as Ale Mamman, 18. All are said to be residents of the Chad Basin and Bulabulin Alajiri areas of Maiduguri.

Following the arrests, the kidnapped boy was traced and rescued unharmed. He was taken to hospital for medical evaluation before being reunited with his family. Police also recovered the N1.5 million allegedly paid as ransom.

The Borno State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajid, described the operation as a major breakthrough in the command’s efforts to curb violent crime, particularly kidnapping. He commended the detectives involved and reiterated the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing.

Police authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious movements or activities to security agencies, stressing that timely information from the public remains critical to preventing and solving such crimes.