The police have confirmed the suspected kidnapping of a set of six-year-old twins by their family’s security guard in Minna, Niger State.
The boys, identified as Umar and Anas, were reportedly taken away on Sunday afternoon from their residence in the Brighter area of Minna, the state capital.
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Their father, a businessman identified simply as Danjuma, said he became worried after he could not locate the children and subsequently discovered that the security guard, Sani Abdulrahman, was also missing.
Mr Abdulrahman had reportedly told some household members that he was taking the children out on a motorcycle to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festivities in town while their father was away.
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However, when the children failed to return home after several hours, family members launched a search and visited hospitals across the metropolis, fearing they might have been involved in a road accident.
The search later took a troubling turn when the family allegedly received information indicating that kidnappers were holding the children.
Mr Danjuma said he subsequently received a telephone call from suspected kidnappers who claimed to be operating from the Erena forest in Shiroro Local Government Area and demanded a ransom for the release of the children.
He appealed to the state government, security agencies and members of the public to assist in securing the safe return of his sons.
“I am appealing to the government and security agencies to help rescue my children. We are also calling on Nigerians to pray for their safe return,” he said.
The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident to PREMIUMTIMES.
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Mr Abiodun said preliminary investigations revealed that the security guard took the children from their home under the guise of celebrating the Salah festivities.
“The security man, Sani, pretended that he was taking the children out for Salah celebrations in town, but since then, they have not returned. Investigation has commenced, while efforts are ongoing to locate the children,” he said.
The police spokesperson added that efforts were ongoing to track down the suspect and rescue the children unharmed.
The incident is the latest in a series of abductions reported in parts of Niger State, where security agencies have continued to battle kidnapping and banditry, particularly in communities bordering forests across the state.
