A kidnapped boy was discovered dead inside a drain in Kaduna after his parents paid  N5 million ransom.

Muhammad Kabir, a boy kidnapped from his parents’ home in a Kaduna suburb, was discovered dead seven days after he was abducted, despite a N5 million ransom offered for his release.

Kabir was abducted from the Kaduna North local government area’s Badarawa suburb.

After a week-long search, his body was discovered in Kano drainage and returned to Kaduna to be buried on Saturday.

According to reports, Kabir’s parents raised an alert, and a search for him lasted several days until a call from the kidnappers requesting N50m, which was later reduced to N35m before eventually agreeing to N5m.

A brother to the deceased, Abdulrahman Kabir Magayaki, said Kabir was taken away from their house to Zaria and from there to Kano State where his body was retrieved after the ransom was paid.

“One of the suspects that took the boy away was our neighbour while the ex-military personnel was also a resident in the community. They took him to Zaria, from there to Kano, where his body was retrieved inside drainage after they collected 5 million naira ransom,” he said.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victim must have been killed after he recognised the faces of his abductors since they are all living in the area.

Sources in the area told News Men they believe a neighbour connived with another resident ex-military personnel to kidnap the boy.

Three people have been picked up by the police, including the said neighbour, connected with the kidnap and murder of Kabir.

The Kaduna State Police Command Spokesman, Mohammed Jalige, confirmed the incident.

According to him, three suspects have been arrested in connection to the crime, including the neighbour.

He said they all confessed to the crime but said he could not comment on the military background of one of the suspects until after the investigation is concluded.