Police in Gombe State have rescued an eight-year-old boy who was abducted in Akko Local Government Area and arrested four suspects in connection with the incident, bringing a relief to the child’s family after a three-day search.

The rescue followed an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Gombe State Police Command after the child’s father, Alhaji Muhammadu Nabadara, reported him missing at the Akko Divisional Police Headquarters.

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According to the command’s spokesperson, Buhari Abdullahi, the boy left his home in Akko at about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and failed to return, prompting his family to alert the police on Sunday.

“Detectives immediately commenced investigations with coordinated efforts to trace the missing child,” Abdullahi said in a statement issued on Thursday.

He disclosed that the family received a telephone call on Monday claiming to reveal the boy’s whereabouts. However, police investigations established that the information was false and intended to mislead investigators.

The breakthrough came on 30 June, when operatives tracked and arrested the principal suspect through intelligence-led investigations.

During questioning, the suspect allegedly identified three accomplices, including an 18-year-old woman, leading officers to the location where the child was being held.

The boy was rescued unharmed and has since been reunited with his family, while all four suspects remain in police custody.

Abdullahi said the suspects would be charged in court after the conclusion of investigations.

The Rescue operation adds to a series of recent security interventions by law enforcement agencies across Nigeria aimed at tackling kidnapping and violent crime.

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Kidnappings for ransom and child abductions have remained a major security concern in several parts of the country, prompting security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and rapid response operations.