The Borno State Police Command has confirmed the discovery of lifeless bodies of children found locked inside the boot of an old car within a compound in Maiduguri.
Commissioner of Police, Nazir Abdulmajid said operatives were deployed to the scene where photographs were taken, and the bodies were moved to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
He explained that investigators are yet to determine whether the children were kidnapped and killed, or they suffocated after entering the vehicle themselves.
“For now, we cannot really say what transpired. We have not established that it is linked to any political killing. But the autopsy will give the proofs,” Abdulmajid said.
According to Zagazola Makama, the unclear circumstances surrounding the deaths have triggered widespread outrage. Residents insist the case bears political undertones.
On Facebook, Aliyu Haidar Zaifada wrote: “These innocent children’s only crime was being born to an outspoken father who speaks truth to power. This is purely politics.”
A grieving resident, Hajiya Falmata, called the deaths “evil,” while Malam Usman, a trader, said: “There was no ransom, no demand. This is politics, and it is dirty.”
University student, Fatima expressed fear for the community: “Today it is Zannah’s children. Tomorrow, it may be someone else’s.”
As Maiduguri mourns, many are demanding justice and the arrest of those behind what is increasingly seen as a politically motivated crime.
Whether the children died by suffocation or were deliberately murdered remains uncertain, but the tragedy has deepened public calls for truth, accountability, and protection of families against political violence.
