A suspected kidnap kingpin in Taraba state, Hamisu Bala Wadume, has finally been re-arrested by the Nigeria Police Force – The disclosure was made on Tuesday, August 20, by police spokesperson Frank Mba – Wadume was first arrested on Tuesday, August 6, and was being taken to Jalingo by the police team when tragedy struck – On the fateful day, soldiers opened fire on the police operatives along Ibi-Wukari road, killing three police officers and a civilian –
The development generated controversy in the country and pitched the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army against each other – This forced the army to issue an advisory for all soldiers to tread carefully anywhere they sight police officers in the country The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed that a suspected kidnap kingpin in Taraba state, Hamisu Bala Wadume, has finally been re-arrested by its operatives.
The disclosure was made on Tuesday, August 20, by the police spokesperson Frank Mba, who said Wadume was re-arrested in his hideout at Layin Mai Allo Hotoro area of Kano state in the late hours of Monday, August 19. Legit.ng recalls that when Hamisu Wadume was first arrested, he was being driven to Jalingo by the police team when soldiers opened fire on them along Ibi-Wukari road, killing three police officers and a civilian. Hamisu Wadume Source: UGC The suspect had been on the police radar for a while. His first arrest came after he had reportedly collected N100 million in ransom.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, while commending the police operatives for their perseverance and painstaking efforts, has expressed his profound gratitude to all Nigerians for their unparalleled show of love and empathy to the force and the families of the officers and patriotic civilians who paid the supreme price in the service of their fatherland. He said the re-arrest of Wadume will no doubt help in bringing answers to the numerous but hitherto unanswered questions touching on the incident and the larger criminal enterprise of the suspect. Legit.ng previously reported that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) arrested the chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ibbi local government area of Taraba state and seven others, including an Islamic cleric, in connection with a wanted kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Wadume’s case.
The party chairman, who is said to be Wadume’s close friend, led the other arrested individuals to DCP Abba Kyari over Wadume’s case. Following the attempt to lobby on behalf of the wanted kidnap kingpin, Kyari ordered the arrests. The individuals were said to have subsequently been detained in Abuja. Kyari, who reportedly conducted investigations in the area, informed Ibbi residents that innocent people had nothing to fear. In another report the Nigerian Army captain fingered in the killing of three police officers attached to Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) engaged a welder to remove police cuffs from suspected kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu Wadume. The captain was also said to have threatened to deal with police officers attached to Ibi police station for not cooperating with him. It was also gathered that only two police officers, including one assistant superintendent of police, Aondonna Iorbee, the DCO, Ibi police station and the crime officer, Ibi police station, Inspector Aliyu, were in police custody at the Force headquarters, Abuja.