I Was Freed By Soldiers Who Killed Policemen – Wadume

Hamisu Bala Wadume, the Taraba suspected kidnap kingpin, re-arrested by the police on Monday said on Tuesday that he was set free by soldiers who killed three policemen and two civilians.

A statement on Tuesday by Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, said that Wadume was re-arrested in the late hours of Monday in his hideout at Layin Mai Allo Hotoro area of Kano State.

It would be recalled that the police had been on massive manhunt for the suspect, Wadume, since August 6, 2019, following the unfortunate incident in Ibi, Taraba State, where soldiers shot dead three policemen and two civilians while taking Wadume to Force Command Headquarters in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

Wadume, who had been allegedly indicted in series of high-profile kidnap incidents in the state, was thereafter released by the soldiers, as the police had him held in handcuffs at the time. Five others were also injured in the fracas.

The suspected kidnap kingpin on Tuesday afternoon at a short appearance before a camera corroborated the police.

According to Wadume, “I was caught by some policemen and while they were taking me away, some soldiers came after us and fired gunshots leading to the death of some of the policemen.

“The soldiers thereafter took me to their barrack where they cut off the handcuffs from me. Afterwards I went into hiding in the bush, before I was re-arrested by another set of policemen”.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has commended the police operatives for their painstaking efforts in the re-arrest of the suspected Taraba notorious kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Wadume.

Mba said the IGP had expressed his profound gratitude to Nigerians for their show of love and empathy to the Force and the families of the murdered officers and civilians.

“The re-arrest of Wadume will help in bringing answers to the numerous but hitherto unanswered questions touching on the incident and the larger criminal enterprise of the suspect,” Mba quoted the IGP as saying.

Full investigation into the bizarre and unfortunate incident has been launched amid claim by the police that soldiers killed the cops “despite sufficient proof that they are police personnel on legitimate duty”.

President Muhammadu Buhari is awaiting the outcome of the investigative panel before taking appropriate actions, the presidency said.