Seven-Year-Old Boy Found Dead After N2.5m Ransom Demand

Tragedy hit the Majema area along Ring Road in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. Suspected kidnappers reportedly killed a seven-year-old boy, Abdullahi Rabi’u, just hours after asking for a N2.5 million ransom.

The boy’s uncle, Sukairaj Danladi Gado, shared the story with PUNCH Metro in Jos on Wednesday. He said Abdullahi was sent on an errand to a neighbor's house on Monday evening but did not come back.

“The family got worried when Abdullahi did not return home. We tried to find him, but all our efforts failed,” Gado explained.

On Tuesday morning, the family received a call from an unknown number. The caller told them that the boy had been kidnapped and demanded N2.5 million for his release.

“On Tuesday morning, we got a call from an unidentified number. The caller demanded N2.5 million as ransom and said the boy had been kidnapped.

“We decided to pay the ransom because we wanted the boy to come home alive. We hoped he would be released, but what happened later broke our hearts,” he said.

Gado said their hopes ended when they learned that the boy’s body had been found.

“We were heartbroken when we heard that his body had been discovered. It was a painful moment for the family because we had hoped for his safe return,” he added.

He mentioned that the body was found on Tuesday evening in a narrow passage close to their house. This news threw the family and the neighborhood into deep mourning.

Gado expressed his worries about the incident and called on security agencies to investigate the killing and catch those responsible.

“We suspect that the people behind this may be familiar with the area. We want security agencies to look into this and make sure those responsible are arrested.

“We appeal to the security agencies to do all they can to find out what happened and bring the culprits to justice so that other families do not go through this kind of tragedy,” he pleaded.

When contacted on Wednesday, the Plateau State Police Command had not replied to our correspondent’s inquiry about the incident.