The alleged kidnap kingpin Hamisu Bala Wadume has said that soldiers aided his escape after he was arrested by the police in Ibi, Taraba State.
Wadume narrated in Hausa language how he escaped in a video released yesterday after he was rearrested.
Wadume narrated in Hausa language how he escaped in a video released yesterday after he was rearrested.
“I am Hamisu Bala, also known as Wadume. Policemen came to Ibi and arrested me; they were taking me away when soldiers chased them and opened fire, leading to the death of some policemen.
“From there, the soldiers took me to their headquarters and cut off the handcuffs on my hands and I ran away. Since then I have been in hiding before I was re-arrested,” he said in the video. When contacted yesterday to react to the video, Defence spokesman, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu said the defence headquarters is still carrying an investigation on the incident in Ibi. Earlier in a statement, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said its operatives re-arrested Wadume in the late hours of Monday, August 19, 2019 in his hideout at Layin Mai Allo, Hotoro area of Kano State. The statement by Police spokesman DCP Frank Mba recalled that the police had been on a massive manhunt for the suspect since 6th August, 2019 when he escaped.
“The suspect, who was appropriately restrained at the time of the incident, was subsequently released by his ‘rescuers’ after they had destroyed the restraining handcuffs,” Mba said. He added that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, believes that the re-arrest of the suspect will help in bringing answers to the numerous but hitherto unanswered questions touching on the incident and the larger criminal enterprise of the suspect.
In Kano, findings revealed that Wadume was arrested at Mai Allo Plaza in a ghetto suburb in Gezawa local government area of the state. An eye witness, who simply identified himself as Musa Idris, said the man was arrested while trying to buy some goods at the plaza. “The man came to buy some items at the plaza and he was apprehended by security men. The security men had disguised as customers and entered the shop shortly after Wadume entered. “Three waited outside the plaza, while three followed him into the plaza. Few minutes later they arrested him and dragged him into a car that was packed few meters away from the plaza.
He was whisked away,” he said, adding that many did not know that he was a suspect. Another resident, Aminu Badamasi said even today (yesterday) a team of plane cloth security men came to the area. “They came in a black Hilux van and surveyed two streets in the area. I cannot say which house Wadume was residing because he was not arrested in a house. But I heard he is residing in one of these two streets (pointing to the two streets directly facing Mai Allo plaza).” However, our reporter observed that despite the operation in the area, residents were seen busy conducting their activities.
