Tragic Kidnapping: 10-Year-Old Murdered in Plateau
In December 2024, 10-year-old Tasi’u Abdullahi was abducted in the Rikkos community of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State. Despite his family paying a ransom of ₦150,000, the young boy was tragically killed by his captors.
Following investigations, the Plateau State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested 13-year-old Umar Hashim in connection with the crime. Hashim was apprehended after visiting a SIM registration center in the Katako area of Jos North to register a new SIM card. He was paraded alongside six other suspects allegedly involved in the kidnapping and murder.
Hashim recounted that he purchased a new SIM card on December 12, 2024, from a registrar named Usman Abdullahi. Due to network issues and his underage status, Abdullahi requested an older family member’s National Identification Number (NIN) for verification. Hashim provided his brother’s NIN, after which Abdullahi claimed the registration was complete and handed him the SIM card. Hashim maintains he was unaware that the SIM card was used to demand ransom from Tasi’u’s family.
Usman Abdullahi admitted that Hashim bought the SIM card from him but stated he handed it over to a friend after registration. He claimed ignorance of the friend’s actions with the SIM card before it was returned to Hashim.