A middle-aged man in Adamawa State, Andrawus James, has allegedly confessed to abducting his 18-year-old niece after reaching an agreement with a prospective buyer to sell her for N7 million.
James, a resident of Bai village in Yadim District of Fufure Local Government Area, reportedly made the confession when he was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court 2 in Yola.
The defendant allegedly lured his niece, identified simply as Fatima, away from her parents by falsely telling her that he had secured employment for her in Abuja.
Presiding over the case, Chief Magistrate Dorcas Marvin ordered that James be remanded in a correctional facility.
The court also adjourned the matter pending legal advice from the state Department of Prosecution.
How the alleged plot unfolded
During the arraignment, the prosecution officer, ASP Ezra Bulus, tendered a First Information Report detailing the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence.
According to the report, the matter was reported on August 16, 2026, by Mohamed Buba of New Market, Ganye, in Ganye Local Government Area.
The prosecution alleged that James had approached Buba and told him that he wanted to become wealthy and had decided to sell his niece.
The two men subsequently negotiated the price and allegedly agreed on how the teenager would be delivered to the prospective buyer.
James later contacted Fatima, who resides with her parents in Damare Ward, Yola South Local Government Area.
He allegedly told her that he had secured a job for her in Abuja and instructed her not to disclose the arrangement to her parents.
According to the prosecution, James subsequently met with Fatima and took her to Ganye instead of Abuja.
He allegedly told the teenager that she would be handed over to another person who would take her to the Federal Capital Territory.
However, Buba had reportedly alerted security personnel about the alleged arrangement.
James was subsequently arrested upon arriving in Ganye with the teenager.
The defendant remains in custody as the case awaits legal advice from the state Department of Prosecution.