The Adamawa State Police Command has rescued five children who were abducted from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, and taken to Mubi in Adamawa State.
In a statement on Sunday, the command’s spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said the children were intercepted in Mubi after being unlawfully moved from Borno.
“The Adamawa State Police Command has rescued another five children suspected to have been abducted and unlawfully brought from Maiduguri, Borno State, to Adamawa.
“On 13th September, 2025, the Area Commander Mubi, ACP Marcos Mancha, acted on timely and credible information, led his surveillance team and intercepted five male children found wandering the streets of Mubi town”, the statement partly read.
According to the statement, the rescued children are identified as Adamu Musa (16 years), Suleiman Idris (10 years), Suleiman Mohammed (11 years), Dauda Yahaya (11 years), and Mohammed Alhassan (11 years), all residents of Gwange, Maiduguri, Borno State.
The statement disclosed that the investigation revealed the victims were unlawfully taken from Maiduguri by one Aliga Suleiman of Sabon Layi, Gwange, Maiduguri, who is currently at large.
“Effort is ongoing to apprehend the suspect and bring him to justice,” it added.
The Commissioner of Police, Dankombo Morris, who commended the Area Commander and his team for the successful rescue, directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to take over the case and ensure the arrest of the suspect and the possible reuniting of the victims with their parents.
“The CP reassured members of the public of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.”
The rescue, according to The Punch, highlights the persistent problem of child abduction in northern Nigeria, especially in states such as Borno and Adamawa where insurgency, displacement, and trafficking have worsened vulnerabilities.
In recent years, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has documented several incidents of minors being transported across state lines for exploitation. Just last month, Adamawa police intercepted and rescued 14 children who were abducted and being moved to Anambra.
Adamawa’s location, sharing borders with Borno and conflict-affected communities, has made it a regular passage for traffickers taking advantage of open routes. Security agencies have since increased patrols and surveillance in border towns like Mubi in a bid to reduce the threat.
