Kaduna-Abuja Road: Police Connive With Kidnappers, Locals Tell Minister

…18 Informants Killed By Criminals  
BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – The people of Rijana, a community along Kaduna-Abuja expressway on Tuesday told the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Danbazzau (retd), that some members of the police were conniving with criminals to perpetuate kidnappings and armed robbery, among other crimes along the highway.

The locals lamented that no fewer than 18 of their members were killed for divulging information to security agents. They explained that the synergy with security personnel in the area could no longer be guaranteed.

Speaking on behalf of the community, a former Special Assistant to ex-Governor Ahmed Makarfi on Rural Development, Abdulsalam Abubakar, expressed delight that though the presence of security chiefs and other top government functionaries had brought some relief to them, but he expressed worry over killing of the people for attempting to provide police with information on kidnapping activities.

According to him, “Sincerely, we have started getting relief with the presence of security chiefs and top government officials like you who have come to show concern about what is happening in our domain.

“What is happening on this road is very disheartening and we members of the communities around are living in fear and anxiety, specifically we members of the Rijana community are very interested in supporting this operation with useful information but, we are in serious trouble in this community.

“It’s not that we don’t have information to give but we are scared, because we can’t see reasons why 600 security personnel will be around here and will not be able to enter the bush and flush out the criminals. Our youths are now spoilt. They have mixed with criminals and they have been corrupted by them.

“But our major problem is the fear of death. Our people are now scared to give information to the security. We have hitherto been giving information to the police, but instead of seeing improvement and progress in the area of security, it is the other way round.

“Everybody knows in this community that in the process of giving out information to the security, we have lost 18 people. There was one of us, a very brave man. He gave list of suspects to the security and he was machete into pieces three days after in the presence of his wife.

“So also, there was a gentleman, Malam Abdulrahman, who also gave information to the security, he was also killed. Same with Yakubu, Sani and Solomon, who was the son of a village chief (Galadima). All of them died for providing information given to the security agents.

“Wallahi Tallahi, there are bad eggs among the security personnel, especially the police. Whoever tells you Honourable Minister that bad eggs do not exist in the police is telling you lies.

“Our patriotic Inspector General of Police has done very well because we have observed that at every u-turn along this expressway, there is a police patrol van with minimum of no fewer than 10 personnel. Unfortunately, you will hear that in-between, there are cases of armed robbery or kidnapping. If you tell a policeman that robbery or kidnapping is ongoing somewhere close by, he would tell you pointblank that he won’t go there because he is carrying the type of weapon the criminals are carrying.”

Responding to the complaints laid before him by the locals, Danbazzau said everything possible would be done to put the situation under control.

According to him, “We are here on fact-finding mission because of incessant kidnapping going on in this area. Government is interested because it is its responsibility to protect lives and property.

“It is a promise this government made before it was elected into office. So I’m here to meet with the community and see how the ongoing special operation is going on.

“We see this as act of terrorism because every element of terrorism is reflecting and it must stop. I’m aware that most of the people involved are foreigners but they cannot succeed without connivance with those that reside here in the community.

“Many of the youths are unemployed, which is partly responsible for their connivance with criminals to terrorise their victims. We will look at your complaints. Government has resolved to end this kidnapping. It is a promise and we will do everything possible to address the situation. We will also protect our informants.”