IGP squad, troops comb bushes for 85-year-old Kaduna emir, wives, seven others

Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command have confirmed the abduction of the 85-year-old Emir of Kajuru, Alhaji Alhassan Adamu, by bandits in the early hours of Sunday.

The bandits attacked the residence of the monarch in Kajuru, Kajuru Local Government Area of the state, and kidnapped him and 10 of his family members, according to the police.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said in a statement that the incident occurred around 2.34 am.

According to him, bandits in large numbers and wielding weapons gained access into the emir’s palace, abducted him and 10 members of his immediate family.

The police spokesman said, “The Kaduna Police Command, through the Divisional Police Officer, Kajuru, Kaduna, receives an unfortunate report on the kidnap of the Chief of Kajuru, Alhaji Alhassan Adamu, in the early hours of today, July 11, 2021.

“The incident occurred around 2.34 am when armed bandits in large numbers invaded Kajuru town, shot indiscriminately, and gained access into the chief’s residence, where they abducted him and 10 members of his immediate family to an unknown destination.

“Notwithstanding, the joint patrol of the Police Mobile Force, conventional police and the Nigerian Army attached to the Kajuru LGA is currently engaged in search and rescue mission around the forest for a possible rescue of the victims, while the IGP’s tactical units have been contacted for technical support.”

While saying that the command was saddened by the latest attack, Jalige urged members of the public to remain calm and “always support the police and other security agencies with credible information that will enable them to curtail any possible attack on innocent citizens before it happens.”

Also, the residence of Mrs Jummai Suleiman, a clinical psychologist at the Department of Psychiatric, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, was attacked around 9 pm on Saturday, and she and her three children were abducted by bandits.

The names of the children were given as Abdullateef, 10; Amina, six; and Abdulrahman, four.

Similarly, gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted the Provost, Zamfara State College of Agriculture, Bakura, Alhaji Habibu Mainasara.

Also kidnapped was a teacher at the Government Science Secondary School, Bakura, Malam Mohammed Kabi, and one other boy whose identity had yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

According to a family source, the provost was abducted by the bandits around 2 am on Sunday from his official residence within the Government Science Secondary School, Bakura.

(NAN)