By Milcah Tanimu

Bauchi Police Command operatives have rescued a 5-year-old boy who had been chained and starved for three days by his father. The rescue followed a tip-off from concerned neighbors in the Gwallagan Mayaka area of Bauchi metropolis.

The incident came to light on July 3, 2024, when the ward head of Gwallagan Mayaka received information from a resident, alerted by his wife, Amina (not her real name), that a 5-year-old neighbor was found tied with a chain inside a room at their address. Amina confirmed the boy’s condition, finding him lying unconscious and restrained.

The Command’s spokesman, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, stated that upon receiving the information, a team led by CSP Mubarak S. Baba, DPO D’ Division, Dutsen Tanshi, promptly moved to the scene and rescued the boy.

The victim, identified as Hussaini Abubakar, revealed that his biological father, Abubakar Nuhu, a 50-year-old known as Wanzam of Gwallagan Mayaka, had mistreated him and confined him without food for three days. Following this revelation, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Musa Muhammad, directed the DPO to arrest Nuhu for investigation and prosecution.

During interrogation, the suspect, Abubakar Nuhu, claimed he had confined his son on the advice of a friend to prevent the boy from stealing neighbors’ valuables. The CP has ordered the case to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the CID to thoroughly investigate the matter and uncover any other motives behind this heinous act.