Kano State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed that a five-year-old boy, Hamza Harisu, was strangled to death after he was abducted from his parent’s home in Doguwa Local Council of the state
Doguwa is about 100 kilometres away from the Kano metropolis and a border town between Kano and Kaduna states.
According to the Command, Harisu was gruesomely murdered by his abductor, one Ado Ibrahim after he demanded N20 million ransom from his parents.
Parading the prime suspect at Bompai headquarters of the Command, police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa disclosed that Ado was tracked down at his hideout in a nearby village after an intelligence notice.
Abdullahi explained that police had earlier received reports of the abduction of the little boy and the ransom demanded, which was later negotiated to N5 million.
The Command’s spokesperson hinted that the suspect was rounded up at a designated point where he was positioned to collect the N5 million ransom. They, however, discovered that the kidnapper had murdered the five-year-old victim.
He said: “The police on October 28, 2022, at about 1700 hours, received a report from the father of the boy who said his son, Hamza Harisu, ‘m’, 5, was kidnapped.
“He said a ransom of N20 million was demanded by the kidnapper(s), but after negotiation, they later settled for N5 million.
“Immediately, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, Abubakar Lawal, raised a team of Operation Restore Peace, led by CSP Bala Shu’aibu, Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Doguwa Division to arrest the culprit(s).
“After sustained efforts coupled with intelligence-led follow-up, the principal suspect, Ado Ibrahim, ‘m’, 29, of Yantama Village, Doguwa L.G.A, was arrested along with three others. They were arrested at the point of collecting ransom in their hideout.
“ Upon arrest, the principal suspect, Ado Ibrahim, confessed that he singlehandedly kidnapped the victim on October 27 at about 1900 hours when it was dark. He further confessed that he deceived the victim, took him to a nearby bush and strangled him to death.”
“Although, he is yet to give the reason why he killed the boy after demanding ransom and the parents on the other hand were ready to pay.”
The spokesperson disclosed that a team of police detectives deployed on the investigation discovered the shallow grave of little Hamza. “The deceased was conveyed to Doguwa General Hospital where he was confirmed dead after medical examination. The suspects would be charged to court after investigation,” he added.
Hamza’s incident came 11 months after the murder of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old girl, who was kidnapped and later killed by her school proprietor, Abdulmaliq Tanko, 38, alongside two accomplices, Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Musa. They were convicted by Justice Usman Na’aba in July 2022 and sentenced to death by hanging.
However, Musa, who escaped the death penalty got five years jail term.