The Bauchi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Abdulrazak Zaki, has confirmed that the child he was accused of abducting is currently in his custody.
Zaki disclosed to journalists in Bauchi on Saturday that his unnamed son, alongside policemen attached to him, carried out the alleged abduction of the child from her school two weeks ago.
Zaki’s ex-wife, Ikilima Soro, had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, alleging that her child was abducted in Bauchi on the morning of January 20, 2025.
According to her, the school bus conveying the child was intercepted by masked policemen using a car with covered license plates. The child was forcibly taken and the vehicle sped away.
Responding to the allegations, Zaki, claimed that the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, and the Bauchi Commissioner of Police, Auwal Mohammed, encouraged him to carry out the abduction, stating that his actions were supported by a Sharia court ruling.
He explained that the court had transferred custody of the child to him from his ex-wife, Ikilima Soro.
Recall that the State High Court in Bauchi has commenced the process of committing the water commissioner alongside the Commissioner of Police to prison for violating its ruling mandating the parties to maintain the status quo until the final determination of the matter before the Sharia court of appeal.
The Commissioner further said that he’s since taken the 8-year-old child to a boarding school in Gombe state against the order of the state high court affirming the child’s custodial right to her mother pending the final determination of the matter.
Reacting to the development, a human rights activist and public interest attorney, Marshall Abubakar, said the Commissioner resorted to safe help by taking the law into his hands to commit child abduction.
He added saying, the provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2010 are very clear on this: forceful seizure of persons and or intercepting means of transporting goods or persons is a crime punishable by law.
Speaking on the superiority of courts in terms of jurisdiction, he added that the state high court has superior jurisdiction over the sharia court.
“The order of the state high court should take precedence over that of the sharia court.”
(PUNCH)