Sokoto police rescue 10-year-old boy hidden inside sack, arrest suspected kidnappers

• Sokoto police rescued 10-year-old Muhammad Sufiyanu after allegedly finding him concealed inside a sack in Tangaza LGA.

• Police said one suspect was arrested over the boy's alleged abduction, while another suspected kidnapper, Abdullahi Buba, was arrested in a separate operation.

• The rescued boy was treated at Gidan Madi General Hospital and discharged as investigations continue.

The Sokoto State Police Command has rescued a 10-year-old boy who was allegedly abducted and found concealed inside a sack during a late-night operation in Tangaza Local Government Area of the state.

The boy, identified as Muhammad Sufiyanu, was rescued on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after his uncle, Sani Ibrahim of Gidan Madi Town, reported him missing at the Gidan Madi Police Station.

According to the police, Ibrahim reported the boy missing at about 8 pm after he disappeared earlier that afternoon.

Surveillance detectives from the Gidan Madi Police Division subsequently began searching the area. At about 11 pm, the officers, accompanied by Ibrahim, intercepted two people travelling on a motorcycle with a concealed sack.

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The suspects allegedly fled when the detectives challenged them, prompting a pursuit. The officers later found that the suspects had abandoned the sack.

When police searched it, they discovered Sufiyanu inside, alive and responsive. He was immediately taken to Gidan Madi General Hospital, where he received medical treatment before being discharged.

The police said the boy later told investigators that one of the suspects lured him into a room, injected him with a sedative and forced him into the sack.

One suspect has been arrested in connection with the alleged abduction and reportedly confessed to the crime, according to the police. Crime Scene Investigators have also visited the location as investigations continue.

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The development was announced by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ahmad Rufa’i, spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The command also announced a separate arrest involving Abdullahi Buba, also known as "Osho".

Police said Buba was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit during an intelligence-led raid on a suspected criminal hideout in Tudun Doki Village, Gwadabawa Local Government Area, at about 2 pm on August 8.

Police alleged that Buba was a key member of a kidnapping syndicate involved in kidnappings and the illegal imposition of levies on communities in Gwadabawa, Kware and Gada local government areas.

The command said Buba was providing information that could help investigators locate other members of the alleged syndicate who remain at large.

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Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, commended the officers involved and urged residents to provide timely and credible information to security agencies.

The police said investigations into both cases are ongoing. No separate response from the suspects or their representatives had been publicly reported as of the time of filing. The allegations have therefore not been tested in court.