State Commissioner Confesses to Child Abduction, Faces Imprisonment

The Bauchi State Commissioner of Water Resources, Abdulrazak Nuhu Zaki, has admitted to orchestrating the abduction of his daughter from his ex-wife, Ikilima Soro, despite an ongoing legal dispute over custody.

Mrs. Soro had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, alleging that on January 20, 2025, masked policemen stopped a school bus in Bauchi, forcefully took her daughter, and fled in a vehicle with concealed license plates.

Speaking to journalists in Bauchi over the weekend, Mr. Nuhu confirmed that his son, along with policemen assigned to him, carried out the abduction. He claimed that Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Commissioner of Police Auwal Mohammed supported his actions, citing a ruling from an upper Sharia court that had transferred custody of the child to him.

However, the Bauchi State High Court, which holds higher jurisdiction than the Sharia court, had previously ordered both parties to maintain the status quo until the matter was resolved by the Sharia Court of Appeal. The High Court has now initiated legal proceedings to hold Mr. Nuhu and the state police commissioner in contempt, a move that could result in imprisonment for violating the court’s ruling.