Crime
Police Arrest Man For Abducting, killing Five-Year-Old Boy In Bauchi
By *Funmilayo Olusanya*
The Bauchi State Police command have detained a 25-year-old man for allegedly killing a five-year-old kidnapped child.
The suspect, identified as Anas Auwal, a resident of Tsangaya Village in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State allegedly lured the minor of the same address with candies to his room.
Later, he demanded a N5 million ransom from the youngster’s father before releasing him, but the father of the boy informed Auwal that he lacked the necessary funds.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Ahmed Wakil, stated this in a media statement made available to journalists in the state on Thursday.
Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, said that the suspect hacked the boy to death after he realised that he recognised him.
He said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Umar Sanda, directed that the suspect be charged to court for prosecution.
“The Command has arrested Anas Auwal ‘m’ 25yrs old from Tsangaya village in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State for kidnapping and gruesome murder of five-year-old teenager Abba Yahuza ‘m’ of the same address.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that on the 11th October 2022 at about 2pm, the suspect lured the victim into his room with sweets. He later called the victim’s father by phone and threatened him to bring the sum of five million naira (N5, 000,000.00) as ransom but the father told him that he couldn’t raise the demanded amount.
“The suspect later came to realize that the victim knew him and that his identity would be revealed if he released him.
“Consequently, the suspect decided to hack the victim to death in his room and waited until night time, bundled the victim in a sack and buried the body in a shallow grave.
“The suspect has confessed to the crime as the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Mamman Sanda, directed that the suspect be charged to court for prosecution.
“In the same vein, the CP has advised parents and guardians to be vigilant and security-wise about the whereabouts of their children,” he advised.
Similarly, the Police Spokesman said that two suspects were also arrested for allegedly kidnapping one Samaila Gidado, a resident of Gayar Mukal, Duguri District, of Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi state and collecting N3.1 million ransom.
He said that the suspects were arrested after they were shot during a gun battle with the Police in their hideout, while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
Wakil said: “On October 25, 2022, at about 2.30am, Abubakar Yakubu (20) aka Dogo and Abdullahi Adamu (40), all males of Quanpan, LGA, Plateau State, criminally conspired with others, now at large, while armed with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons stormed the house of Samaila Gidado, male, of Gayar mukal Duguri district Alkaleri LGA Bauchi State.
“They kidnapped him to an unknown destination and demanded and collected the sum of N3,190,000, as ransom before he was released.
“During the investigation, the team of detectives was assigned to trace and arrest the suspects. In the process of the investigation, a piece of information was received from a reliable source that they were seen in a bush.
“A tactical team was quickly drafted and cordoned the area and engaged them in a gun duel. As a result of our superior firepower, two of the suspects got injured and were successfully arrested while others escaped with gun injuries; all efforts have been put in place to arrest the remaining gang members.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano State Zonal Directorate, has arrested popular TikTok influencer Murja Kunya for allegedly abusing the Nigerian currency.
According to a statement released on Monday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Kunya was taken into custody for spraying naira notes for fun during her stay at Tahir Guest Palace, a hotel in Kano State.
Her latest arrest follows a dramatic attempt to evade justice after she allegedly jumped administrative bail earlier granted by the commission.
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Kunya was initially arrested in January 2025 for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the national currency.
Although she was granted bail pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court in Kano, she failed to appear in court and instead went into hiding.
“After weeks of intensive investigation and surveillance, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested the TikTok Influencer on Sunday, March 16, 2025,” the statement read.
Kunya is now in custody at the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, where she is awaiting arraignment.
The commission reiterated its commitment to enforcing laws protecting the integrity of the naira and issued a warning against all forms of naira abuse, including spraying, stamping, or mutilating the currency at social events.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the arraignment of former First Bank of Nigeria Plc chairman, Oba Otudeko, and the bank’s former managing director, Bisi Onasanya, over an alleged ₦12.3 billion fraud.
Justice Aneke, delivering the ruling on Monday, stated that under Nigerian law, a defendant’s plea must be taken before any application or objection can be entertained.
“The issue before the court is whether the processes before the court can be taken before the arraignment of the defendants. Any preliminary objection to the validity of a charge can only be heard after the plea is taken; this is now a condition precedent, and this court is bound by the decision,” the judge ruled.
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The prosecution had opposed any attempt to delay the arraignment, with counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala insisting that legal proceedings must follow due process.
Following the ruling, Otudeko’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), informed the court that all parties, including the prosecution, had met with the Attorney General of the Federation on March 12 to explore an out-of-court settlement.
He urged the court to allow time for discussions, a request supported by other defense lawyers, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), Yinka Fusika (SAN), and Charles Adeogun-Phillips (SAN).
However, the prosecution maintained that the case should either proceed to arraignment or be adjourned for a settlement report.
After hearing both sides, Justice Aneke adjourned the case to May 8 for an update on the settlement discussions or the formal arraignment of the defendants.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 13-count criminal charge against Otudeko, Onasanya, a former board member of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Soji Akintayo, and a company linked to Otudeko, Anchorage Leisure Ltd.
The EFCC alleged that between 2013 and 2014, the defendants fraudulently obtained ₦12.3 billion from First Bank through multiple transactions, including payments of ₦5.2 billion, ₦6.2 billion, ₦6.15 billion, ₦1.5 billion, and ₦500 million.
A couple, Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq and Hafsat Kabir Lawal, along with two accomplices, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele, have been arraigned before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court on charges of fraud, money laundering, and stealing totaling N197,750,000.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the defendants before the court on Monday, March 9, 2025, on a six-count charge.
They are accused of conspiring to defraud victims by impersonating the wife of the Katsina State Governor, Fatima Dikko Radda, and offering fake foreign exchange deals.
According to the EFCC, Hafsat Kabir Lawal allegedly posed as the Katsina First Lady to lure victims into fraudulent currency exchange transactions.
READ ALSO: Tragic End: Abducted Catholic Priest Killed In Kaduna
Using SIM cards registered under the name “Fatima Dikko Radda” on True Caller, she reportedly contacted a bureau de change operator, Aminu Usman, and convinced him to transfer N89 million in exchange for $53,300.
Investigators further revealed that another victim was defrauded of N108 million under a similar scheme involving a supposed exchange of $118,300.
The funds were allegedly deposited into the bank account of the third defendant, Abdullahi Bala, before being laundered and shared among the conspirators.
Hafsat’s husband, Sadiq, is accused of providing the SIM cards used in the fraud. He allegedly enlisted the help of Ladani Akindele, a former bank colleague, to secure the contact details of Unity Bank Chairman Hafiz Bashir. The contact was then used to gain the trust of the victims.
When the charges were read, all four defendants pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel Bright C. Ogbonna requested a trial date and urged the court to remand them in a correctional facility.
Defense counsels, led by M.S. Katu (SAN), argued for bail, stating they had already filed applications.
However, the prosecution opposed the requests, stating that the applications were not yet ready for hearing. When the defense requested an oral bail application, Justice Bello ruled in favor of the prosecution and ordered the defendants to remain in custody.
The case was adjourned to March 17, 2025, for the hearing of bail applications.
The suspects were initially arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) before being handed over to the EFCC when the case was determined to be financial in nature.
The EFCC has vowed to ensure that justice is served in the case, emphasizing the need for vigilance against fraudulent schemes involving high-profile impersonation.
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