A family in Adamawa State is mourning the loss of four children who were kidnapped from a farm and later found dead. The incident has drawn calls for a thorough investigation and justice.
Children Abducted While Fetching Firewood
On June 12, four children—Adamu Samaila (13), Bilal Abdurahaman (8), Ya’u Sani Baba (10), and Sultan Samaila (11)—went to a farm in the Hullere area of Jambutu community, Yola North Local Government Area, to fetch firewood for their mothers, a routine activity. When they failed to return home by evening, their families began searching.
According to Samaila Musa, father of two of the children, the family searched until midnight but found no trace. Later, they learned that the children had been approached by suspected kidnappers who asked them to help load grains into a vehicle. The children initially refused due to the late hour, but the kidnappers convinced them by promising to arrange transportation home.
Ransom Demand of N10 Million
The family received a ransom demand of N10 million. Samaila Musa said the amount was beyond their means: “Looking at our source of livelihood, we could not afford such an amount.” They tried to negotiate but later heard that the children had been killed. Musa was hospitalized due to shock from the news.
The elder brother, Shehu Musa, who handled communication with the kidnappers and reported the matter to the police, said he pleaded with the kidnappers to reduce the ransom to N500,000 and begged them not to harm the children. The kidnappers directed him to various locations where they claimed the children would be released, but they never showed up.
Bodies Discovered in Bush
After days of waiting, a community member discovered the children’s bodies in a bush near a farmland after noticing a strange smell. Shehu Musa said, “We rushed there and discovered it was the bodies of our children, all four of them. They had already decomposed.” The family could not move the bodies due to their condition and buried them at the location in accordance with their religious practice.
Allegations of Insider Involvement
Shehu Musa alleged that someone within the community may have assisted the kidnappers. He claimed that the individual who provided the contact number used to communicate with the abductors was later arrested by the police and is suspected of monitoring the children’s movement before the abduction.
The family has called on the government and security agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident, arrest those responsible, and ensure justice for the children.
