Driver’s Vigilance Foils Taraba Child Abduction Plot

​JALINGO — Quick thinking and sharp vigilance by a commercial bus driver have averted what could have been a devastating tragedy in Taraba State, leading to the dramatic rescue of three young girls and the arrest of two female suspects.

​The suspects, who had strategically rented an apartment in the same compound as their victims just two weeks prior, were intercepted while attempting to smuggle the children out of the state.

​The rescued children—identified as Ummul Shuaibu, Ummul Baba Gasal, and Amina Abubakar, all aged between five and six years old—have since been safely reunited with their families.

​According to police sources, the two women had meticulously laid the groundwork for the abduction. Posing as ordinary tenants, they moved into the victims’ residential compound in Jalingo, the state capital, two weeks before the incident. Over the fortnight, they reportedly showered the young girls with uncharacteristic gifts and friendliness, rapidly winning over both the children and their unsuspecting parents.

​The plot thickens on the morning of Thursday, August 27, 2026. Under the guise of taking the children out for a routine trip to the local market, the women secured permission from the trusting mothers. However, rather than heading to the market stalls, the suspects diverted straight to a major motor park in Jalingo, where they boarded a commercial vehicle bound for Adamawa State.

​A catastrophe was averted mid-journey thanks to the observant eye of the commercial bus driver. Growing uneasy as the journey progressed, the driver noticed a striking lack of interaction between the adult passengers and the children, alongside visible signs of distress and discomfort from the young girls. Suspecting that the children did not belong to the women, the driver faked a mechanical or personal stop near a filling station and transport union base, quickly briefing park officials.

​The union members immediately mobilized and notified the Taraba State Police Command, whose operatives swiftly moved in and took the suspects into custody.

​Abubakar Kwalli, father to one of the rescued victims, recounted the tense moments at the state police headquarters where the fathers were summoned for identification.

ADVERTISEMENT

​”We were surprised to see our children at the police headquarters,” Kwalli stated. “After identifying them, we were directed to bring our wives for further verification. When the girls saw their mothers, they broke down in tears of joy and rushed straight to them.”

​The Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, confirmed the arrests, noting that the suspects are currently in detention undergoing intense interrogation. The police command has assured the public that a comprehensive investigation is underway to unravel any broader syndicates or network connections linked to the thwarted trafficking attempt.

​Security agencies have meanwhile commended the driver’s exemplary alertness, urging citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements involving minors to law enforcement authorities without delay.