By Iroyin Yoruba Television
The Yobe State Police Command has ordered investigations into two separate cases involving the alleged killing of a farm worker and the prolonged abuse of a nine-year-old boy, with three suspects now in police custody as investigators work to establish the full circumstances of the incidents.
The two cases were disclosed by the command on Friday, October 2, 2026, following separate incidents in Bursari and Jakusko Local Government Areas of the state.
The first case concerns the death of a farm worker identified as Inusa Abdullahi, who was originally from Kazaure Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Police said his body was discovered abandoned in a bush near Rini-Kunu Village in Bursari Local Government Area after the authorities received a distress call.
The second case involves a nine-year-old pupil who police said was allegedly kept in chains for approximately four months by a 35-year-old Arabic teacher identified as Muktar Haruna.
The two cases are being investigated separately, but the Yobe State Commissioner of Police, Usman Kanfani Jibrin, has directed officers to conduct thorough investigations and ensure that anyone found responsible is dealt with according to the law.
In the first incident, police said the Garin-Alkali Division received a distress call on September 30 concerning a body found in a bush close to Rini-Kunu Village.
Officers were dispatched to the location, where they found the lifeless body of the farm worker.
The body was evacuated and taken to the Specialist Hospital in Gashua. A medical doctor subsequently confirmed that the man was dead.
Investigators later identified the deceased as Inusa Abdullahi, a farm worker from Kazaure in Jigawa State.
The circumstances leading to his death became the focus of the police investigation after preliminary findings indicated that Abdullahi had been accused of stealing a water-pump generator.
Police said the accusation was made by a man identified as Audu Auta.
According to the preliminary account released by the command, Auta reportedly took the allegation to a vigilante member identified as Malah Muhammad Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, together with another person identified as Abubakar Bulama, allegedly took Abdullahi to a farm.
The police said the two men allegedly tied the farm worker up and beat him while attempting to force him to confess to the alleged theft.
The victim subsequently died.
His body was then allegedly abandoned in the bush.
Police have arrested Ibrahim and Bulama in connection with the incident and are questioning them as investigators attempt to establish precisely what happened.
The investigation is also expected to determine whether other individuals were involved before, during or after the alleged assault.
The accusation of generator theft remains an allegation. Police have not established through a court process that Abdullahi stole the equipment.
The circumstances surrounding his death instead form the central issue of the current investigation.
The case has raised concerns about the dangers of taking allegations of crime into the hands of vigilantes rather than reporting them to law-enforcement authorities.
A person suspected of stealing property is ordinarily expected to be reported to the police, investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted before a court.
In this case, the police allegation is that the victim was instead restrained and beaten in an attempt to obtain a confession.
Investigators will now have to determine the precise actions of each suspect and whether those actions directly contributed to Abdullahi's death.
The medical examination and other evidence recovered during the investigation could be important in establishing the cause and circumstances of death.
Police may also need to establish the events leading to the alleged accusation, determine whether the water-pump generator was actually stolen and identify any other people who may have knowledge of the dispute.
The command has not announced that the investigation has been concluded.
The two suspects remain in custody while investigators continue questioning them.
The second case involves a child in Jakusko Local Government Area.
Police said operatives attached to the Jakusko Division received intelligence concerning the alleged abuse of a nine-year-old boy.
The information led officers to the arrest of a 35-year-old Arabic teacher, Muktar Haruna, from Garin Baduku Village.
According to the police, the teacher allegedly chained the boy's legs and kept him restrained for approximately four months.
The child was subsequently rescued by the authorities and taken to the General Hospital in Jakusko for medical attention.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged restraint are now being investigated.
Police said Haruna is originally from Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The command has not disclosed all the circumstances that led to the child's alleged prolonged confinement, including the reason given for the punishment or how the situation remained undiscovered for such an extended period.
Those questions will form part of the investigation.
The case is particularly significant because of the alleged length of time the child was kept restrained.
Four months represents a prolonged period, and investigators will need to establish the conditions under which the child was kept, the nature of any injuries suffered and whether any other individuals knew about or participated in the alleged abuse.
The child is receiving medical attention following the rescue.
Medical assessment can help establish whether the boy suffered physical injuries or other health consequences during the period of alleged confinement.
The investigation may also involve questioning people who live around the location where the alleged abuse occurred and others who may have had contact with the child or the teacher.
The police have not indicated that additional suspects have been arrested in connection with the child-abuse case.
Haruna remains in custody as investigators examine the allegations.
The Yobe Commissioner of Police has condemned both incidents and directed that the cases be investigated thoroughly.
The commissioner also warned residents against taking the law into their own hands.
That warning is particularly relevant to the circumstances surrounding Abdullahi's death, where police allege that a theft accusation resulted in the farm worker being tied up and beaten rather than being taken through a formal criminal investigation.
The police said the command would not tolerate violence, torture or abuse, particularly where vulnerable people are involved.
The command also urged members of the public to report suspected criminal activity to law-enforcement agencies.
The two cases demonstrate different challenges facing communities and law-enforcement agencies.
In the first case, investigators are examining how an accusation of property theft allegedly escalated into a fatal assault.
In the second, officers are investigating an allegation involving the prolonged mistreatment of a child by an adult who was responsible for his education.
Both cases involve individuals who were allegedly subjected to violence or severe restrictions without the protection of a formal judicial process.
The police response therefore focuses on establishing the facts and ensuring that any person found to have committed a crime is subjected to the appropriate legal process.
The death of Abdullahi also raises questions about the use of informal security structures in rural communities.
Vigilante groups operate in many Nigerian communities and can assist formal security agencies by providing local information and helping to respond to suspected criminal activity.
However, their activities remain subject to the law.
A suspected thief cannot simply be punished by individuals or groups without due process.
Where an allegation of theft is made, security agencies are expected to investigate the claim, gather evidence and allow the judicial system to determine guilt.
The Yobe police command's decision to investigate the circumstances surrounding Abdullahi's death is therefore also an effort to establish whether the actions allegedly taken by the vigilantes crossed into criminal violence.
The investigation will have to establish what happened at the farm, who was present, what injuries the victim sustained and what happened after he died.
It may also determine whether the original theft allegation had any factual basis.
Those questions are particularly important because the accusation against the deceased cannot now be tested through his own account.
Investigators may instead have to rely on witnesses, physical evidence and information from the people who accused or detained him.
The child-abuse investigation similarly requires investigators to establish a clear timeline.
Police will need to determine when the alleged restraint began, how the child came into the teacher's care, why the restraint was allegedly imposed and whether other people were aware of the situation.
The medical assessment of the child may also assist investigators.
The identity and welfare of the child have not been publicly disclosed, an approach that helps protect a minor involved in an alleged abuse case.
The police have not released further details about the child's family circumstances.
The command's statement instead focused on the arrest, rescue and medical treatment of the child and the ongoing investigation.
The cases also highlight the importance of reporting suspected abuse promptly.
Where a child is subjected to violence, prolonged restraint or other forms of mistreatment, intervention by relatives, neighbours, community leaders, teachers or security agencies can potentially prevent further harm.
The police have urged members of the public to report criminal acts rather than attempting to resolve serious allegations through violence.
For communities, the message is that allegations of theft, abuse or other offences should be handled through lawful channels.
For security agencies, the cases create an obligation to investigate complaints and respond where vulnerable people are at risk.
The Yobe State Police Command has indicated that investigations into both cases will continue.
The two suspects arrested over the alleged killing of Abdullahi are being interrogated, while the Arabic teacher arrested in Jakusko remains in custody over the child-cruelty allegation.
The arrests do not constitute convictions.
Each suspect remains entitled to due process, and the allegations must be established through evidence before a court if prosecution follows.
The police are expected to continue gathering evidence and determining whether further arrests or charges are necessary.
In the farm worker's case, investigators are also expected to examine whether other people may have participated in the events surrounding the alleged killing.
In the child-abuse case, authorities will have to determine whether the evidence supports criminal charges and what additional protective measures may be required for the rescued child.
The Commissioner of Police has directed investigators to pursue both cases thoroughly.
The command has also made clear that it will not tolerate people taking the law into their own hands or subjecting vulnerable persons to violence and torture.
The two investigations remain ongoing.
What is currently established is that police in Yobe are investigating the death of Inusa Abdullahi after his body was found near Rini-Kunu Village, while two men have been arrested over allegations that he was restrained and beaten following a dispute over a water-pump generator.
Separately, police rescued a nine-year-old boy in Jakusko after receiving intelligence that he had allegedly been chained for approximately four months, and arrested his 35-year-old Arabic teacher, Muktar Haruna.
Further developments will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators and any subsequent decisions by the relevant authorities.