A 16-month-old child, Muhammad Abidin, who went missing after his mother was receiving lecture at Green Heritage College of Education in Games Village, Bauchi, has been found dead.

Speaking with Labari Daga Bauchi, a local media outlet, Saudatu Abdullahi, the bereaved mother said her son was found dead with his eyes, nose, and mouth missing.

She said after eight days of search, his lifeless body was found in a suck-away located within the premises of the educational institution.

She said, “I attend NCE classes at Games Village here in Bauchi. I used to go with Abidin, on Saturday, August 19^th, got missed while I was in the middle of taking a test.

“During the test, he usually leave the classroom to play and then return. The first time he left, I brought him back, but later he left again without my knowledge.

“As I finished the test, I immediately went out to search for him. I checked all the places he usually played, but I couldn’t find him. I noticed his shoes hanging on a window in another classroom.

“I headed straight to that classroom, hoping he would be inside, but unfortunately, he was not there. I searched every classroom in the school, but I couldn’t locate him.

“Returning to our classroom, I informed our lecturer about the situation. My classmates and I searched the entire school premises and nearby areas, including culverts, but we were unable to find him.

“I reported the incident to the Dean of Student Affairs, who then contacted the police station. Since that day, we had not seen him until last Sunday when we discovered his lifeless body.

“The news of Abeedin’s death took me by surprise. I never expected that he would not return alive. Unfortunately, I was called to see Abeedin’s deceased body, which had already begun decomposing and some body parts were removed.”

Still grieving the loss of his son, Al-Kasim, the child’s father, stated how he found the remains.

“At approximately 2:30 pm, I received a call informing me that my son was missing. Promptly after receiving this distressing news, I reported the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) located in Bauchi.

“During the eight-day search for my son, Abidin, I held onto hope that he would be found alive. However, on Sunday at around 2 pm, I received an urgent call from the school.

“When I arrived at the school, I was confronted with the lifeless body of my dear son. Tragically, his eyes, nose, and mouth had been forcefully removed, rendering his face unidentifiable.

“My biggest hurt is, I don’t know whether my son was injected with an anesthetic prior to the removal of these body parts,” Al-kasim said.

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has ordered the immediate closure of the School.

The Governor gave the order when he paid a condolence visit to the family of the slain boy, expressing shock over the gruesome murder.

“While we appreciate the establishment of private schools, we will not tolerate the loss of life in their name. I have immediately ordered the Ministry of Education and the police to close the school until the matter is investigated.

“We will not tolerate such behaviour. We understand that this will affect the students, but this measure is necessary. Parents should also be extra vigilant. With your cooperation and prayers, we will eliminate these bad eggs from our society.”

“It is disheartening that someone would just pick up this young boy and remove parts of his body. We will not tolerate this,” he said.

The Governor accompanied by the State Commissioner of Police, Awal Musa Mohamed, and other top government officials. (Daily Trust)

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