This One Is Shocking: Police Narrates How 12 Year Old…

If it is not shocking, what then can be? Where has innocence gone, for a 12 year old, generally believed to still be under tutelage, to kidnap a three year old?

That is the unbelievable drama that just played out in Bauchi State. There, the police command has arrested a 12-year old for allegedly kidnapping a minor.

You do not need to doubt it because, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Ahmad Wakil has already issued a release on the matter.

The police said the incident happened at a community called Magama Gumau, in Toro Local Government Area.

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According to the police, the 12 year old suspect is Dayyabu Abdullahi, nabbed after he had lured his victim, Mariya Yahaya, into an isolated area, before kidnapping him.

“A discreet investigation revealed that the suspect lured the victim to an isolated place near a football field at kara Area of Magama Gumau and called the victim’s father on phone and made the demand.

“On hearing this, the victim’s father hung off the call, while the suspect kept calling but no response from the victim’s father.

“After a while, the victim’s father called the suspect on the phone and identified the suspect as Dayyabu through his voice, as the suspect is known by the victim’s father.

“The suspect then kept mute and quickly hung off the call when he realized that the victim’s father uncovered his identity and swiftly took the girl back to their house and told her family that he sighted her crying near a football field,” said the PPRO.

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“The investigation also revealed that the suspect got to know about kidnapping when some time ago, his friend was kidnapped in Kano state.

“Until a ransom was paid before he was released from his captors, that is how he learned about kidnapping and money must be paid to set a victim free,” he said.

But the victim’s father did not immediately start raising the money. Instead, the man identified as  Yahaya Sale, upon being contacted by the kidnappers, who were demanding a ransom of N150,000, involved the police

In their usual manner, they had also threatened the man to play ball quick or let the minor face the consequences.

In their 2020 journal article “Violent language in the environment of street children singer, Bajari, Atwar & Kuswarno, Engkus submitted that children’s involvement in criminal activities is rapidly rising in all around the present world which is definitely an alarming for the future.

In other words it is not peculiar in Nigeria.

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Using Bangladesh, as a case study, they submitted that there are 70 million children, and that a mentionable number among them, is involved in criminal activities that would destroy the future of the nation.

“Study finds that among 1 million street children 75 per cent children are involved in criminal activities. However, in Dhaka metropolitan city, 98 per cent street children are involved in various crimes.

“This study also finds that there are many reasons behind the children’s involvement in crime”

Poverty, Illiteracy, Child abuse, Family breakup, Availability of drugs, Lack of morality and ethics in education were identified as some of the problems leading to child delinquency.

The list included lack of religiousness, racism and involvement in political activities.

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According to the study, “Thinkers, scholars, policymakers and others are emphasizing their attention towards overcoming this disquieting situation”.

Using the case of Nigeria, challenges in the economy is usually mentioned as a major challenge for families, which makes it difficult for them to properly bring up their children.

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Faced with falling income, skyrocketing prices, and the lack of employment, many parents are unable to take care of their children. Some such children are actually left to wander about, as a way of fending for themselves.