Suspects held in abduction of Buhari’s hometown head

The police in Katsina have arrested suspects connected with the kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar, the district head of Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s hometown.

Special Assistant to the President on Social Media Lauretta Onochie broke the news on her twitter handle yesterday.

“Police in Katsina State said the suspects in connection with the abduction of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Uba, who was abducted at his residence, have been arrested,” she tweeted.

The kidnappers stormed Umar’s Daura residence at 7 pm on Wednesday, shooting sporadically into the air. There was pandemonium.

Umar had just returned from the mosque where he took part in the evening prayer when the incident happened.

Umar, who is said to be the father-in-law of President Buhari’s ADC was sitting in front of his home with some people when the gunmen came.

A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria that the kidnappers came in a Peugeot 406 saloon car.

After the gunmen left, Daura Council Chairman Mallam Abba Mato and hundreds of sympathisers came to Umar’s residence to discuss the bewildering incident.

The suspects were seized after members of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) special operation codenamed “Puff Arder” engaged the gangster in a shootout.

There has been no word on the whereabouts of the district head.

Police Public Relations Officer of the Katsina State Command Gambo Isah, a Superintendent, in a statement, said the bandits, numbering about six, who stormed the Magajin Garin Daura home, took him to an unknown destination.

Read also: Breaking: District head of Daura Musa Umar kidnapped

Isah stated that the abductors, however, ran out of luck, when the Commissioner of Police Sanusi Buba, with police patrol teams from Kusada Division intercepted the fleeing hoodlums and engaged them in a gun battle.

One Inspector Muntari Maikudi attached to Kusada Division sustained a gunshot injury and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina for treatment.

He said: “IGP Tactical Squad, SARS teams, Police Mobile Force and Counter-terrorism units have already been dispatched to rescue the victim alive and safely to his family. The command enjoins members of the public to always assist the security agencies with timely and actionable intelligence on the activities of these bandits.

“Be rest assured that the command and indeed other security agencies are on their toes to bring to an end the activities of these bandits.”

The command has confirmed the killing of 10 persons by bandits, who attacked Gobirawa and Sabawa villages of Safana Local Government Area.

A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer said a group of bandits riding over 150 motorcycles attacked Gobirawa and Sabawa villages, killing 10 persons. They torched houses and rustled animals.

He added that Police patrol teams were dispatched to the scene and they engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle and chased them out of the villages.

One Bajaj motorcycle was recovered from the bandits.