Another 14-yr-old Benue girl abducted in Sokoto

MAKURDI— Relations of another missing 14-year-old girl, Patience Paul, have alleged that the primary six pupil of Mohammed Zako Model Primary School, Sokoto, may have been abducted and housed at the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto.

Father of the girl, Mr. Paul Adaji, an indigene of Ochobo in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State, told Vanguard on phone that his daughter had been missing since August 12, 2015.

Adaji, who resides in Sokoto with his family, alleged that some persons spotted his daughter at the Sultan’s palace.

He said: “We got information that she was in the Sultan’s palace and the last time we went there, we did not find her.” When asked how they knew she was at the palace, he said: “Some people told us that they saw her at the palace.

They also used to camp some of them there, that was why we went to the palace to see if she has been taken there.

“Even her friend, who used to be a Christian, was found there. She was taken there and they converted her. “We will still continue to search for her.

We will not give up; we only want the world to help us so that our daughter can be released to us.” Brother’s story Corroborating Mr. Adaji’s story, his son, Paul Isaac Adaji, gave an account of circumstances that led to the disappearance of his sister.

He said: “Patience is my younger sister. We are based in Sokoto. That is where the issue occurred. My dad is in Sokoto but we lost our mother two years ago. My younger sister was brain-washed from school, Mohammed Zako Model Primary school, Sokoto.

She is a primary six pupil. “The fact is that sometime last year, we noticed she started keeping some funny friends and her attitude started changing. This is a girl that normally likes attending church activities. “We cautioned her but along the line, she changed. Then again, she started misbehaving. So at that point, my parent and I decided to move her out of Sokoto and return her to Benue State so the rumours of children converting does not happen to us as we do not have anybody to fight for us.

“Unfortunately, what we were scared of later happened to us. Sometimes we will see her returning from school with a veil covering her head. When we inquired, she said it was given to her by her friend in school.

“We cautioned her on several occasions. But we later arranged with my dad to get her back to Benue. Unfortunately, she got to know about our plan to send her back to Benue and obviously informed the people who were brainwashing her and they eventually abducted her.

“When we could not see her, we started serious investigation and along the line, discovered that it was one of our neighbours who actually abducted her.

Hisbah takes over “We reported the matter to the police. The masterminds of her abduction were invited by the Police. They made their confessions that the girl wanted to join their religion, which was why they abducted her. They said they took her to the Hisbah (Islamic Police).

“At that point, the Police invited the Hisbah and they came and gave their own statement. They said they had taken the girl to the Sultan’s palace. I was hoping that since the police had stepped in, my sister would come home.

“But that did not happen. I reported the matter at the Police Headquarters in Sokoto, but it was transferred to our Area Division. So after the interrogations, the Police said since I reported the matter at the headquarters, their findings will also be communicated to the headquarters.

“Two weeks later, I went to the police headquarters here in Sokoto only for the police to tell us that we should just go and maintain peace. I became inquisitive and wanted to know what the police found that prompted that advice. Bishop Kukah steps in

“It was at that point that I reported the matter to Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah. He was very angry with us, saying we ought to have reported the matter to him earlier.

“He made some calls and promised to step into the matter. I became restless and worried because the Bishop is a very busy person. We are urging and pleading with all well-meaning Nigerians to help us intervene. “From what we gathered, from last year up to early this year, she was in the Sultan’s palace, but she has been taken away from there since last month.

“‘We went there with my other sister to check and they brought a different person to us. From our investigations, she is not the only one because the two girls they brought did not look like real Muslims.”

Meanwhile, calls to Bishop Kukah to find out the veracity of claims that the matter was reported to him at a point were not responded to. Source confirm palace connection However, a source in Sokoto told Vanguard that the girl was actually abducted and kept at the Sultan’s palace.

The source also noted that the teenager was not the only person abducted and hidden at the palace, adding that three other girls were in the palace.

The source said: “What is happening is not new; it is a common occurrence in Sokoto and Katsina. Christian teenage girls are often abducted and hidden in such places.

“Patience is not the only victim. Three other girls were found to have been abducted and kept at the palace. There is an Ibo girl among the three.”

Reacting to the development yesterday, Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Salisu Fagge, said: “It is not true. I have not received such report from anybody.

We relate very well with the palace and Bishop Kukah and such report has never come to me. “If we had got it, we would have taken prompt action. Please ask the man to see me in the office without delay if what he is saying is true.”

Another 14-yr-old Benue girl abducted in Sokoto

•To remain in prison until they meet bail conditions

Former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda, ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Mohammed  Sambo Dasuki, former Sokoto State Governor  Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa and two others are to remain in Kuje prison, Abuja, until they meet their  bail conditions.

Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki

Justice Peter Affen of the High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) gave the order yesterday in a ruling on their bail application.

Also to be remanded are former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu and Bafarawa’s son, Sagir.

Yuguda, Dasuki, Bafarawa, Salisu and Sagir were arraigned with a company, Dalhatu Investment Limited on December 15 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 22-count of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and retention of proceeds of crime estimated at over 20 billion.

Justice Affen, yesterday, admitted each of the five men to bail at N250 million with two sureties, who must pledge the same amount.

The judge said one of the sureties must be a director in the Federal Civil Service; they must be resident in Abuja, and must have landed property in  Abuja worth N250 million.

The judge added that title documents to the property and the defendants’ travel documents must be kept with the court.

‘’ I have carefully considered the applications and evidences tendered and found that extensive investigation was conducted in the matter.

‘’ Whatever is left was not substantial to deny the defendants bail, simply because the prosecution alleged that they may interfere with the investigation, if granted bail.

“There is no evidence to prove that the defendants, if granted bail, will commit another offence.  I found it difficult to agree with the theory of probability, as canvassed by the prosecution, to deny the defendants bail,” the judge said.

He noted that where the ill-heath of an accused person was in question, the court was enjoined to exercise its discretion in favour of the applicant, if relevant documents were presented before the court.

The judge ordered that the defendants, who had been in the custody of the EFCC, be remanded in Kuje Prison pending uintil they meet the bail conditions.

Their relatives and friends, including businessman Raymond Dokpesi, former Director of Publicity for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode, who were in court, were making efforts to assist the defendants process their bail.

How to tackle terrorism, by Sultan of Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, yesterday gave some tips on how to tackle terrorism in the country.

Nigeria must focus on rebuilding the socio-economic life of citizens, particularly those  living in the Northeast where terrorism thrives, he said after he was installed as the Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI) at the institution’s 67th Foundation Day in the Oyo State capital.

Reeling out staggering data on the deplorable state of socio-economic life in the North, Alhaji Abubakar said there were more than 2.5 million out-of-school children (popularly called Almajiri) in some states in the North.

He explained that the figure is higher than those enrolled in school in some states.

In the Sultan’s view, poor socio-economic factors help terrorism thrive because the youth are not gainfully engaged and their minds are not developed.

According to him, insurgency has left over two million people displaced, with implications on health, social infrastructure and security.

To overcome the challenge, the UI Chancellor said Nigeria must focus on increasing school enrollment, training youths in acquisition of skills and opening up opportunities for skilled labour.

Emphasising that terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, Alhaji Abubakar described terrorists as “deluded individuals who are hiding under religion to perpetrate evil”.

He urged the UI to lead in the training of youths in character building and researches that can expose practical steps in dealing with society’s challenges.

The Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ayelari Emilolorun , who read the valedictory speech of the outgoing VC, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said the institution awarded 456 doctorate degrees from 12 faculties and institutes this year. According to him, the figure is unrivalled in Africa.

He said his administration focused on staff welfare, infrastructural development and security to enable the university deliver on its mandate of quality training and research.

Adewole said there were already 219 linkages with several universities all over the world with 19 others in the pipeline.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, stressed the need to move energy source thermal to solar, saying the government was arranging with some companies in the United Kingdom (UK) to achieve solar energy production.

Buhari added that there were plans for self-sustenance in rice production to achieve food security instead of relying on importation.

The main focus of his administration, he said, is the common man.

Buhari urged universities to be sensitive to developments around the world to enable them key into them to make better impacts.

The Sultan and Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo were awarded honorary doctoral degrees.

After its founding in 2002, Boko Haram’s increasing radicalization led to a violent uprising in July 2009 in which its leader was summarily executed. Its unexpected resurgence, following a mass prison break in September 2010, was accompanied by increasingly sophisticated attacks, initially against soft targets, and progressing in 2011 to include suicide bombings of police buildings and the United Nations office in Abuja. The government’s establishment of a state of emergency at the beginning of 2012, extended in the following year to cover the entire northeast of Nigeria,

How to tackle terrorism, by Sultan of Sokoto

Police Commission reinstates officer who allegedly facilitated Boko Haram kingpin escape

The Police Service Commission on Friday approved the reinstatement of dismissed Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zakari Biu.

Zakari Biu

Biu was dismissed from the Police Force four years ago following the escape of a wanted Boko Haram Commander, Kabiru Sokoto.

Sokoto was suspected to be the mastermind of the bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, four years ago in which scores of worshippers were killed.

The commission had said then that the decision to dismiss Biu was taken at its 26th plenary meeting and found the embattled police officer wanting in the allegations levelled against him.

Biu’s dismissal came less than two months after the commission promoted him as commissioner of police.

Before Biu was dismissed, he had been placed under house arrest and on suspension.

But the commission on Friday in Abuja reviewed the decision.

In a statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations of commission, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, the commission said that a meeting presided over by the its Chairman, Mr. Mike Okiro (retd), reviewed Biu’s appeal against his dismissal, exonerated and retired him statutorily.

According to him, the commission also exonerated Biu from the issues surrounding the escape of Sokoto, an arrested Boko Haram kingpin who is now in prison in Abuja.

The commission also approved the promotion of the Commissioner of Police, Danladi Mshielbwala and a former Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police.

Police Commission reinstates officer who allegedly facilitated Boko Haram kingpin escape

15 Drowned In Sokoto River, 3 Killed In Fresh Wukari Crisis

It was a terrible tragedy for the people of Dan-Wawaru village of Goronyo local government area of Sokoto State, as they buried 15 persons who plunged into the River Rima and died on Thursday night, locals confirmed.

Boat capsides, imigrants drown in Libya

Also, no fewer than three persons were reportedly killed, while scores were injured in a fresh round of violence that erupted yesterday in Wukari local government area of Taraba State.

The 15 people that drowned in Sokoto were reported to have been among the 17 persons in a vehicle that plunged into the river, and reports have it that they were on their way back from Takakume village where they went for a religious ceremony.

Confirming the incident to LEADERSHIP Sunday, the Sokoto State police command’s spokesperson, Al-Mustapha Sani, said the vehicle was reported to have been conveying 17 persons before the driver allegedly slept off, leading to the accident.

Sani, however, informed that two of the occupants involved in the accident survived, while the remaining 15 have been buried according to Islamic rites.

“The deceased were evacuated by the police attached to the Goronyo police division and had since been buried by their respective families according to Islamic rites,” he informed.

On his part, Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko condoled with the bereaved families, just as he prayed that God would grant their souls eternal rest.

While urging them to see it as an act of God, Wamakko admonished them to pray against the repeat of such act, either in the state or anywhere else.

Meanwhile, a resident of Wukari, who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday, alleged that the crisis started when a Muslim man who left his area to a Christian zone three days ago was killed. He added that several properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed

“The root of this crisis was that few days ago, one Muslim guy visited a Christian area and he was killed, and when the Muslims heard of it the next day, they saw a Christian person who came to their area and they killed him in return,” he alleged.

Findings by our correspondent reviewed that it was still a spill over of the crisis that erupted in Wukari few months ago.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Taraba State police command, ASP Joseph Kwaji, confirmed the incident to LEADERSHIP Sunday on phone, stating that at about 10:30 yesterday, unknown gunmen killed a Muslim person, and the next day, there were sporadic gunshots at Mararaba town.

It would be recalled that crisis had erupted in some parts of Taraba for over six months, leading to the deaths of many people and destruction of property.

Viewed 1 times
15 Drowned In Sokoto River, 3 Killed In Fresh Wukari Crisis