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Suspected kidnappers have killed a seven-year-old boy, Abdullahi Rabi’u, hours after demanding a ransom of N2.5 million from his family in Majema area, along Ring road, Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau state.
The boy was reportedly abducted on Monday evening after being sent on an errand to a neighbour’s house. His body was discovered on Tuesday evening in a narrow passage near his family’s residence, throwing the family and residents of the neighbourhood into mourning.
The incident comes amid renewed concerns over insecurity across Plateau state, where separate attacks in recent weeks have claimed lives in several communities, including Jos South, Bokkos, Mangu, Riyom and Barkin Ladi.
The killing has further heightened concerns about the safety of children and other residents, particularly as the circumstances surrounding the boy’s abduction and death remain unclear.
How the boy disappeared
The victim’s uncle, Sukairaj Danladi Gado, who narrated the incident, said Abdullahi was sent to a neighbour’s house on Monday evening to deliver a message but failed to return home.
According to Gado, the family became worried when the child did not return as expected and immediately began searching for him.
He said their efforts to establish the boy’s whereabouts were unsuccessful until Tuesday morning, when an unidentified telephone number contacted the family.
The caller reportedly demanded N2.5 million as ransom and informed the family that Abdullahi had been kidnapped.
Gado said the family was prepared to pay the ransom because its priority was to secure the child’s safe return.
“We agreed to pay the ransom because we wanted the boy to return home alive. We were hoping that he would be released, but what happened later shattered our hopes,” he said.
The family’s hope of recovering the child alive was dashed when they received information that his body had been found.
Gado described the development as devastating, saying the family had expected that negotiations over the ransom would lead to the boy’s release.
He said the body was reportedly discovered on Tuesday evening in a narrow passage close to the family’s residence.
The exact circumstances of the child’s death, including whether he was killed at the place where his body was found, had not been established in the account available as of press time.
Family suspects local familiarity
The victim’s uncle expressed concern that the people responsible for the abduction might be familiar with the neighbourhood, although he did not provide evidence to establish their identities or connection to the area.
He called on security agencies to investigate the case, trace the telephone number used to demand the ransom and identify those involved in the crime.
Gado also appealed to the authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding Abdullahi’s death and ensure that anyone found culpable was prosecuted.
The family’s appeal comes against the backdrop of persistent security challenges in parts of Plateau State, where residents have faced attacks on travellers, community members and local security volunteers.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain an official reaction from security operatives on the boy’s abduction and death were unsuccessful. It was also unclear whether any suspect had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Fresh attacks heighten insecurity concerns
The killing is the latest disturbing incident to deepen concerns about public safety in Plateau State.
On October 5, separate attacks were reported in Jos South and Bokkos local government areas, with three people killed and eight others injured, according to reports published by The Sun on October 6.
In Mangor, Bokkos LGA, suspected gunmen reportedly attacked a local neighbourhood watch post at Angwan Tsarki at about 11pm, killing two vigilantes and injuring three others.
In a separate incident, a vehicle conveying traders returning from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market in Jos South came under gunfire. One person, identified as Musa Abubakar, was killed, while seven others sustained injuries.
The Plateau State Police Command confirmed the attack on the traders and said the injured victims were taken to the Military Clinic at Rukuba Barracks in Jos for treatment.
The police also said tactical and anti-robbery teams had been deployed to strengthen security in the affected area, while intelligence gathering was intensified to identify and arrest those responsible.
The incidents underscored the vulnerability of residents travelling along some routes in the state and raised further questions about how to protect communities, traders and local security personnel from armed attacks.
Thirteen killed in separate attacks
Barely two days after the October 5 attacks, at least 13 people were reported killed in separate incidents in Jos South, Mangu and Riyom local government areas, according to a report by The Guardian published on October 7.
Nine of the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when suspected gunmen reportedly opened fire on their vehicle at Dungus in Jos South. The attack was said to have occurred at about 9:40pm.
The spokesperson for the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the incident and said some passengers who sustained gunshot wounds were taken to hospitals, where some later died.
Other deaths were reported in Mangu and Riyom, where separate attacks allegedly occurred around the same period.
The violence was followed by the discovery of an unidentified man’s body behind the Monday Market in Pankshin Local Government Area. Community members reportedly alerted security operatives, who evacuated the remains to the General Hospital, Pankshin, as efforts were made to establish the deceased’s identity.
The circumstances surrounding that death were not immediately established, and the police had not confirmed the details reported by community sources at the time of publication.
Community leader also killed in Barkin Ladi
In another incident, gunmen reportedly killed Paul Danladi, a youth leader and former chairman of the Berom Youth Moulders Association in Gashish District, Barkin Ladi LGA.
According to a report by Premium Times published on October 8, Danladi was killed around 6pm on October 7 near Rantis Village along the Gashish-Barkin Ladi road while riding his motorcycle towards Barkin Ladi.
The association confirmed his death and called on security agencies to investigate the killing and arrest those responsible. It also reported separate attacks in which two people were injured.
The killing of the community leader added to concerns over attacks on residents travelling between communities and the need for improved surveillance along vulnerable roads.
Security operations and calls for action
Despite the reported attacks, security agencies have also announced operations targeting suspected criminal networks in the state.
In September, troops of Operation Enduring Peace reportedly arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and rescued two abducted victims during separate operations. The operations included raids on suspected hideouts around Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills in the Jos North area, according to a report by Premium Times published on September 21.
The military said information provided by rescued victims helped investigators identify some of the suspects, while weapons were recovered during other operations in parts of the state.
The arrests point to ongoing efforts to disrupt kidnapping networks, although the latest incidents demonstrate that serious security concerns remain in several communities.
The killing of Abdullahi Rabi’u now places renewed attention on the need for prompt investigations into abductions, effective tracking of ransom calls and stronger protection for children and vulnerable residents.
For the bereaved family, however, the immediate concern is the loss of a child whose safe return they had hoped to secure.
The family is seeking justice, while the identities of the suspected kidnappers and the full circumstances of Abdullahi’s death remain to be established by investigators.
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