A Kaduna based activist, Comrade Danjuma Sarki, has called for the redeployment of the Commission of Police in Kaduna state over incompetence in handling security challenges facing the state.
Comrade Danjuma made the call at an international press conference held on Saturday at the NUJ Press Centre in Kaduna.
While berating the Government and Security agencies over their denial of the Kidnap of over 20 people on Thursday 8 June, 2017, Danjuma said “We wish to categorically and unequivocally reaffirm that the incident is true with physical proof. Despite several payment of ransom and releases of some of the victims, as at yesterday (Friday) night, there are still more than 30 people in their captivity.
“With us here are three (3) of the victims, namely Kazah Bulus, Simon Terna and Ruth Samuel. Ruth Samuel, that were released at Rijana along Kaduna-Abuja high way, there dirty belongings and recorded phone conversation between myself and the kidnappers.
“We want to reiterate here that no one is safe on Kaduna-Abuja expressway, due to the non-challant attitude and lack of commitment from our security agencies and the government. We wish to emphasize that our earlier statement was an understatement of the menace.
Danjuma described the Kidnappers as “young, fearless, smart and well organized bandits of Fulani extraction, mostly within the ages of 22 to 35, who specializes in kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery and hired attacks. They are well armed with sophisticated weapons of all kinds; machine guns, AK 47, AK 49, Revolver etc.”
“According to them, they hail from Sokoto, Gombe, Zamfara and Adamawa States of Nigeria, while some of them are from Cameroon, Mali, Chad and Niger. Their own objective is financial benefits and nothing more.
“They use complete military fatigues to disguise for their operations and they possess different military identity cards for impersonation”
Danjuma said he was baffled that, despite the deployment of 510 anti-riot Police men backed with 40 Patrol vehicles and armoured personnel carriers on Abuja-Kaduna Express way, since August, 2016, the spate of kidnapping has degenerated to an intolerable level on the high way, except during the during when the operations of Abuja international airport was moved to Kaduna “If you recall, the road became very safe and under strict surveillance when operations of the Abuja international airport was transferred to Kaduna international airport, but immediately after they transferred operations back to Abuja, the people plying that road have been left at the mercy of this ruthless men of the underworld.”
The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna has steadily exposed his incompetence and unprofessionalism in the discharge of his responsibility. We strongly believe that he lacks the capacity to superintend over Kaduna Police Command- Danjuma Sarki
Danjuma called on the Inspetor General of police to redeploy the CP and DCP “We want to use this opportunity to categorically call on the Inspector General of Police to redeploy the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State, Mr. Agyole Abeh and his Deputy Mr. Ahmad Abdulrahman and replace them with more competent and effective officers, so as to nip the current security challenges bedeviling the state in the bud.”
READ FULL TEXT OF BRIEFING …
THE TEXT OF AN INTERNATIONAL PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE HIGH RATE OF KIDNAPPING ALONG KADUNA-ABUJA EXPRESSWAY ADDRESSED ON SATURDAY 10TH JUNE 2017 AT THE NUJ SECRETARIAT KADUNA
THE RELEASE OF SOME OF THE OVER TWENTY PEOPLE KIDNAPPED ON KADUNA-ABUJA EXPRESS WAY: NO ONE IS SAFE.
On Thursday, 8th June, 2017, I broke the news of the kidnap of over 20 people on the Kaduna-Abuja express way in broad day light, which was published in some news papers and was widely circulated in the social media. Thereafter, I and some of my concerned friends reported the matter to the Kaduna State Police command, where we met with some of the top brass of the command, and they promised to investigate the matter and ensure the release of the captives.
To our greatest shock, instead of doing the needful, the Kaduna State Police Command decided to debunk it through a press statement signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Ahmad Abdulrahaman describing it as false, claiming that there was no truth in the story that it was misleading and he called on the public to disregard it.
Though, we suspected this ab initio, due to the manner they treated our report by claiming not to have received any complaint or report from any quarters or their men covering those areas. However, we told them we were there to formally report the matter, that was when the same DCP Abdulrahaman later owned up to us that, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kateri Division, informed them after receiving a call during a meeting they held on kidnapping on the same axis on Wednesday 7th June, 2017 at the force Headquarters, Abuja.
Shortly after that, I received a call from a ranking Kaduna State Government official, who had earlier informed me that he was aware, and later claim he went to the spot where he contacted security officials who told him it was false.
From that moment we began to smell a rat, which culminated into the subsequent shameful denial by the police.
These actions, gave birth to our total loss of confidence on the police to investigate the matter, which led to our refusal to contact them when we established contact with the kidnappers.
We wish to categorically and unequivocally reaffirm that the incident is true with physical proof. Despite several payment of ransom and releases of some of the victims, as at yesterday night, there are still more than 30 people in their captivity.
With us here are three (3) of the victims that were released at Rijana along Kaduna-Abuja high way, there dirty belongings and recorded phone conversation between myself and the kidnappers.
We want to reiterate here that no one is safe on Kaduna-Abuja expressway, due to the non-challant attitude and lack of commitment from our security agencies and the government. We wish to emphasize that our earlier statement was an understatement of the menace.
With us here is Kazah Bulus, Simon Terna and Ruth Samuel. Ruth Samuel was kidnapped on that same highway on the 5th of June, 2017. She spent five days in the kidnappers den before her release to me yesterday.
The Kidnappers are young, fearless, smart and well organized bandits of Fulani extraction, mostly within the ages of 22 to 35, who specializes in kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery and hired attacks. They are well armed with sophisticated weapons of all kinds; machine guns, AK 47, AK 49, Revolver etc.
According to them, they hail from Sokoto, Gombe, Zamfara and Adamawa States of Nigeria, while some of them are from Cameroon, Mali, Chad and Niger. Their own objective is financial benefits and nothing more.
They use complete military fatigues to disguise for their operations and they possess different military identity cards for impersonation. They boastfully claimed they collaborate with some government and security agents in their heinous business. These government and security personnel supply them guns, and provides them with information ,and targets regularly.
The criminals are very brutal; they rape and kill at will. They operate different camps within the jungle where they keep their victims.
When they kidnapped Ruth Samuel and the other passengers in their vehicle, they instantly killed two of the passengers who attempted to resist, before leading the rest to the bush.
On Thursday, they raped some women and also killed 3 other people who attempted to escape and threw one of the dead bodies into the river. We saw young boys in the camps who are being trained by them.
They told us they were the ones that kidnapped Laurencia Mallam, the former minister of environment and her husband last year.
It baffles us so much that, despite the deployment of 510 anti-riot Police men backed with 40 Patrol vehicles and armoured personnel carriers on Abuja-Kaduna Express way, precisely on the 5th of August, 2016 which was code named “Operation Maximum Safety,” and which was expected to man dark spots and vulnerable points along the Abuja-Kaduna Express road where this spate of kidnapping has degenerated to an intolerable level on the high way.
If you recall, the road became very safe and under strict surveillance when operations of the Abuja international airport was transferred to Kaduna international airport, but immediately after they transferred operations back to Abuja, the people plying that road have been left at the mercy of this ruthless men of the underworld.
It is so sad, that the Nigeria Police, Kaduna State Command and the Kaduna State Government, unperturbed about the security or lives and properties of Nigerians, rather they are more concern about their image as a result of their inefficiency in tackling security challenges in the state, hence the high level of crime and criminality in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna has steadily exposed his incompetence and unprofessionalism in the discharge of his responsibility. We strongly believe that he lacks the capacity to superintend over Kaduna Police Command.
We want to use this opportunity to categorically call on the Inspector General of Police to redeploy the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State, Mr. Agyole Abeh and his Deputy Mr. Ahmad Abdulrahman and replace them with more competent and effective officers, so as to nip the current security challenges bedeviling the state in the bud.
Also, we commend the speedy reaction of the House of Representatives in summoning the Heads of our Security Agencies. We urge them to thoroughly investigate the matter to its logical conclusion. :
So many unreported kidnap cases are going on daily in Kaduna State.
More so, we want to use this medium to express our appreciation to those media houses that refuse to be cowed or gagged to drop the story and all those who shared it on the social media.
Lastly, I know that after this press conference, two things might happen.
It is either the police come after me or the kidnappers come after me, but I want to assure you all, that there is no price too big to pay for the safety of the people of my State and Nation.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Signed
Comrade Danjuma Sarki
On behalf of the kidnapped and released victims and their families.
