Police arrest nurse, woman over baby abduction in Jigawa hospital
August 6, 2026 10:18 pm
Jigawa State Police Command logo
The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old nursing officer and a 20-year-old woman over the alleged abduction of a one-and-a-half-year-old baby boy from the paediatric ward of Babura General Hospital. The child was later rescued from the female suspect.
The development was confirmed to The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Thursday by the state police public relations officer, SP Shi’isu Adam.
He said the arrests followed a distress call received from the hospital concerning the disappearance of the child.
According to Adam, police operatives immediately swung into action after receiving the report and commenced intelligence-led investigations aimed at locating the missing child and apprehending those responsible for the alleged abduction.
The PPRO said, “The operatives, acting on credible intelligence and investigative leads, tracked the suspected female accomplice, identified as 20-year-old Khadija Aliyu of Kinkinau Quarters, Kaduna State, to the outskirts of the town.”
“Operatives arrested the suspect while she was in possession of the abducted one-and-a-half-year-old baby boy,” the PPRO said, adding that the successful operation led to the immediate recovery of the child.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that the investigation led to the arrest of 25-year-old Sadik Sale Yahaya of Zango Quarters, Gumel Division, a nursing officer attached to Babura General Hospital.
Further explaining the case, the PPRO said, “The nursing officer was allegedly involved in the conspiracy with the woman to carry out the criminal act,” stressing that detectives were working to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance from the hospital.
According to the police spokesperson, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the female suspect allegedly intended to take the child to an orphanage in Kaduna State and sell him for the sum of ₦2 million.”
“The female suspect confessed during interrogation that she took the child with the intention of selling him for two million naira,” Adam said, noting that investigators were still examining the confession and other evidence gathered in the case.
The rescued child, the PPRO said, has been placed in protective custody and will be reunited with his biological family after the completion of the necessary procedures and verification by the relevant authorities.
He further disclosed that both suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue, adding that “the command is working to determine the full extent of the alleged conspiracy and establish whether other individuals were involved.”
Adam also said the police would not relent in pursuing all available leads to ensure that anyone found to have played a role in the alleged abduction would be brought to justice in accordance with the law.
The PPRO quoted the Commissioner of Police, Jigawa State Command, CP Tijjani Murtala, as commending the operatives for their bravery, professionalism and prompt response, which he said contributed to the recovery of the child and the arrest of the suspects.
The commissioner, according to the PPRO, reassured residents of the command’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property, while urging members of the public to provide timely and credible information to the police to help prevent and combat criminal activities across Jigawa State.
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