Nasarawa Police Bust Shocking Kidnap Ring: Couple and Accomplice Nabbed for Abducting 2-Year-Old Boy, Demanding N15M Ransom
Heartbreak turned to hope in Nasarawa State when police swooped in to rescue a terrified two-year-old from a brazen abduction plot hatched by those closest to him. The dramatic takedown has exposed a chilling betrayal, as a neighboring couple allegedly snatched the child for a massive payday, leaving families across Nigeria reeling.
Nasarawa kidnapping arrest, two-year-old boy abducted Nasarawa, couple kidnappers Lafia, child ransom demand Nigeria, police rescue toddler Shabu—these gripping Nasarawa police operation headlines are flooding social media and news wires, underscoring a brazen crime wave that’s testing the limits of community trust in Nigeria’s heartland. On October 14, 2025, around 7:30 p.m., little Godwin Abeson vanished from his home in Sabon Pegi, Shabu, a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Lafia, the state capital. His desperate parents received a chilling call moments later: Pay N15 million ($9,200) or the boy dies. What they didn’t know was the monsters behind the mask were hiding in plain sight.
The Nasarawa State Police Command, under Commissioner Shetima Jauro Mohammed, wasted no time. Operatives from the ‘E’ Division launched a lightning-fast manhunt, tracing leads through phone records and local tips. By October 16, they had their trio in cuffs: Asabe Isah, her husband Isah Umar, and their accomplice Emmanuel Polycarp. The couple, neighbors to the Abesons, allegedly masterminded the snatch, luring Godwin away under false pretenses before stashing him at Polycarp’s residence in the nearby Angwan Nungu community. The toddler, unharmed but traumatized, was whisked back to his parents’ arms within 48 hours—a textbook win for swift policing in a region plagued by such horrors.
Interrogations cracked the facade wide open. Asabe confessed to conspiring with Umar, driven by what police call “greed-fueled desperation” amid Nigeria’s biting economic squeeze. Polycarp, the hideout host, spilled details on how the group monitored the family’s routines for weeks, exploiting the evening lull to strike. No weapons were involved in the grab, but the ransom demand screamed sophistication, hinting at possible links to broader syndicates. “This was cold-blooded opportunism,” CP Mohammed told reporters at a tense Lafia presser on October 17, flanked by the suspects in shackles. “Communities must stay vigilant; evil often wears a familiar face.”
This isn’t Nasarawa’s first brush with toddler terror. Just two years ago, in August 2023, another couple—Abubakar and Salamatu Saidu—from Mararaba in Karu LGA pulled a eerily similar stunt, snatching a neighbor’s two-year-old for a N2.5 million ($1,500) haul and fleeing to Katsina State. Police reeled them in after a cross-state chase, reuniting the child with his folks. That case, like this one, exposed how familial proximity fuels these plots, turning playgrounds into peril zones. Fast-forward to 2025: Kidnappings have surged 30% in North-Central Nigeria, per security trackers, with ransom hauls topping N5 billion yearly. Godwin’s saga fits a grim pattern—quick grabs, sky-high asks, and porous borders aiding escapes.
Public fury erupted online as details leaked. On X, #NasarawaKidnap trended, with users like @NaijaVoiceOut raging, “How do you kidnap your neighbor’s baby? These people are demons in human skin! Prayers for little Godwin 🙏.” Another, @LafiaMum, vented: “As a parent here, I can’t sleep. When even home isn’t safe, what’s left? Kudos to the police, but we need more boots on the ground.” Hashtags like #EndKidnappingNG amplified calls for tougher laws, with over 10,000 posts in 24 hours decrying the human cost. Rights groups, including the Civil Liberties Organisation, slammed the uptick as a “failure of social safety nets,” urging community watch programs.
Security analysts are sounding alarms. Dr. Fatima Bello, a criminologist at Ahmadu Bello University, dissected the case for Channels TV: “Economic despair post-fuel subsidy removal has weaponized poverty. These aren’t hardened gangs; they’re desperate locals dipping into crime. But targeting kids? That’s a new low, eroding social fabric.” Bello points to intel gaps—Nasarawa’s vast farmlands and weak rural policing make it bandit bait. Yet, she praises the command’s haul: Between August 30 and October 15, 2025, they nabbed 24 kidnappers total, plus an armed robber, seizing three guns and eight ammo rounds. Other busts included foiling a N40 million employer snatch in Doma and rescuing highway victims near Toto.
For everyday Nigerians, this toddler’s tale strikes at the core of family fears. In a nation where child abductions have doubled since 2020, per UNICEF data, parents now second-guess errands and evenings out. Economically, it drains communities—ransom negotiations cripple small businesses like the Abesons’, who run a modest Shabu shop, forcing loans and lost wages. Lifestyles shift too: Neighborhoods like Sabon Pegi buzz with vigilante patrols, turning barbecues into strategy sessions. Politically, it heaps pressure on Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration, with opposition PDP demanding a security overhaul amid 2027 polls. “This is terrorism by another name,” Sule tweeted post-arrest, vowing N50 million for tipsters.
Technology’s double edge shines here. Police leveraged cell triangulation and CCTV scraps from Lafia markets to corner the suspects, a nod to Nigeria’s growing digital forensics push. But for U.S. readers with ties to the diaspora—over 400,000 Nigerian-Americans sending remittances home—this hits global. It spotlights why funds often fund safety nets, not just dreams, and fuels advocacy for bilateral aid on border tech. Sports? Nasarawa’s youth leagues, breeding stars like Super Eagles hopefuls, now drill safety alongside skills, lest talent scouts mourn missing kids.
The suspects face kidnapping charges under Nigeria’s 2011 Act, with life sentences looming if convicted. Asabe and Umar’s home raid yielded burner phones and scribbled ransom notes; Polycarp’s Angwan Nungu spot had baby supplies, suggesting a longer hold planned. CP Mohammed vows no stone unturned for syndicate ties.
This Nasarawa nightmare ends with a child’s giggle echoing back home, but the scars linger. As police parade more collars, one truth endures: In the fight for innocence, vigilance is the ultimate ransom paid.
By Sam Michael
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