Niger State Police Command Apprehends Impostor Cleric And Accomplice For Infant Abduction
The Niger State Police Command has apprehended a 24-year-old man masquerading as a clergyman, along with his accomplice, following the tactical abduction of a four-week-old infant in Minna. The breakthrough operation was confirmed in an official statement released on Saturday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun.
The investigation began on July 14, 2026, when a distraught nursing mother filed a report at the ‘A’ Division Police Station in Minna. She alleged that her one-month-old baby had been deceitfully snatched away from her custody near the Mobil Roundabout area of the state capital, prompting law enforcement to immediately flag the incident as a high-priority kidnapping.
In response to the report, police detectives launched a swift emergency investigation and successfully deployed technical intelligence assets. Their efforts culminated in the tracking and arrest of the primary suspect, identified as Chidi Johnson, popularly known within the area as “Yaron Pastor,” a resident of the Abdulsalam Quarters neighborhood in Minna.
During official police interrogation, the suspect, Chidi Johnson, allegedly confessed that he was contracted by 22-year-old Zainab Ibrahim, an Alagbado, Minna native currently residing in Sokoto State, to procure a newborn baby for her after she reportedly suffered a miscarriage. Law enforcement officials revealed that Johnson initiated his plan on July 13, 2026, by luring the unsuspecting nursing mother and her infant to the Kasuwan-Gwari area under the false pretext that a wealthy benefactor was distributing free food items and charitable alms to the public.
The victims were subsequently directed to meet with Johnson directly, who then led them to an isolated, uncompleted building located near the Mobil Roundabout. According to the police report, the fake clergyman strategically offered the women snacks and soft drinks to disarm them and gain their trust, using the hospitable gesture as a cover while pretending to playfully interact with the infant before executing the abduction.
After gaining the mother's trust, Johnson allegedly fled through the rear exit of the uncompleted building, escaping with the infant on a waiting motorcycle. Following a swift and coordinated intelligence operation, police detectives successfully tracked down and arrested his accomplice, Zainab Ibrahim. The stolen four-week-old baby was safely rescued from her custody unharmed and has since been joyfully reunited with the biological mother.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed that both suspects are currently being held in law enforcement custody as detectives continue their deep-dive investigation into the abduction plot. State officials assured the public that the case files are being meticulously prepared, and both individuals will face formal arraignment in a court of law as soon as the ongoing investigations are fully concluded