13-Year-Old Informant: How a “Deaf and Dumb” Boy Became a Kidnappers’ Spy for One Year in Kebbi

13-Year-Old Informant: How a “Deaf and Dumb” Boy Became a Kidnappers’ Spy for One Year in Kebbi.

For nearly a year, residents of Makera Gandu in Birnin Kebbi, the capital of Kebbi State, saw him almost every day. A young boy, maybe 13 years old, wandering the streets, unable to speak or hear. People took pity on him. They gave him food, dropped a few naira in his palm, and let him go about his business. He seemed harmless.

But security operatives have now uncovered something that has left the community shaken. That boy was not what he appeared to be.

According to reports, the boy, later identified as Abubakar Ibrahim, was allegedly working as an informant for kidnappers. His disability was an act. While residents thought they were helping a helpless child, he was reportedly watching their homes, learning their routines, and passing information to criminal gangs waiting for the right moment to strike.

READ: Nigerians Demand Justice after Video of SS3 Student Brutally Beaten by Lagos Teacher Surfaces Online

During interrogation, the boy reportedly made some shocking revelations. He said he was not working alone. Two other children were sent on the same mission to gather intelligence in the area. They were trained in sign language to make their disguise more convincing and avoid raising suspicion .

The boy also disclosed that those who trained them are believed to be based in Harasawa, a town within Birnin Kebbi. He is originally from Niger State.

For an entire year, this young boy walked the streets, collecting information on people’s movements, their schedules, and their vulnerabilities. All while pretending to be deaf and dumb .

The news first broke through a Facebook post by Abuzaidu Abubakar Yari on Monday, March 2, 2026. His post quickly went viral as Nigerians struggled to process the disturbing details.

READ: Iran: How 16-Year-Old Girl Was Executed After Repeated Rapes in Jail by Prison Guards

“To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return! This boy you see is a reporter (informer) to kidnappers,” Yari wrote in Hausa. “This boy at least spent 1 year as a deaf, he doesn’t talk while he is not deaf. He hears but when he comes to people he becomes deaf”.

Yari urged residents to be more careful with strangers coming into their communities, warning that criminals are now using children as tools for their operations.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kebbi State Police Command has not issued an official statement on the arrest or the ongoing investigation.

This case raises troubling questions that go beyond one boy’s arrest. How do children get caught up in these criminal networks? What drives them to trade their innocence for a life of spying for kidnappers?

The boy’s age is particularly heartbreaking. At 13, he should be in school, learning and playing with friends. Instead, he was trained, equipped with sign language skills, and deployed as a spy for criminals.

This is what happens when poverty, desperation, and crime meet. Children become tools. Their innocence becomes a weapon. And communities that once opened their doors to a helpless child now have to wonder who they can trust.

READ: Who Authorised This? Nigerians Question Use of School Children in Foreign War Protest

The Kebbi case is not happening in isolation. Across northern Nigeria, criminal networks are changing their tactics. Kidnapping for ransom has become big business, and the people behind it are getting smarter .

In February 2026, the Kebbi State Police Command announced the arrest of four suspects accused of supplying logistics to members of the Lakurawa terror group operating in border areas. Items recovered included an AK-49 rifle, 611 rounds of ammunition, and a locally made bullet-resistant vest believed to be fortified with charms .

Just last week, police in Kebbi confirmed an attack by bandits along the Maje border road in Bagudo Local Government Area. The attackers used a herd of cattle to hide their movement under the cover of darkness .

And now, a child spy.

The tactics keep changing. But the pain remains the same.

Who Is Really Behind This?

The most important question still has no answer. Who are the adults pulling the strings?

The boy reportedly told interrogators that his handlers are based in Harasawa. But have they been arrested? Are they still out there, recruiting more children for the same dirty work? 

If criminals can turn children into spies, then every community is at risk. Every stranger becomes a potential threat. Every act of kindness could be feeding information to those who want to cause harm.

Security experts say community vigilance is more important than ever. Residents have been urged to report suspicious behavior, no matter how harmless it may seem.

READ: Photos from Delta Burial Go Viral as 120-Year-Old Woman Is Buried in Giant Fish Casket

Kidnapping has become one of Nigeria’s most painful problems. From schoolchildren to travelers, no one is safe. In November 2025 alone, over 400 people, mostly schoolchildren, were abducted in Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, and Borno states. Many were later released, but no one has been prosecuted .

In January 2026, gunmen kidnapped about 163 Christians from two churches in Kaduna State .

The Kebbi case adds a new layer of worry. It shows that criminal networks are investing time and resources into intelligence gathering. They are patient. They are organized. And they are willing to use children to achieve their goals.

For now, the boy is in custody. But his future is unclear. He is both a suspect and a victim. A child who did wrong, but was also used by adults who should know better.

Many are now calling for a different approach. Yes, the boy must face justice. But he also needs help. He needs to be rescued from the life he was pushed into. He needs protection and rehabilitation.

But the real work lies elsewhere. Until the adults behind this network are found and stopped, the danger will remain. And more children could be turned into weapons.

For the people of Makera Gandu, the lesson has been painful. The boy they pitied, the child they fed with their own hands, was watching them all along.

And that is a thought too chilling to ignore.

13-Year-Old Informant: How a “Deaf and Dumb” Boy Became a Kidnappers’ Spy for One Year in Kebbi.