My kidnappers Are Sophisticated in Tracking – Kidnapped But Freed Brother of Bauchi Governor

…They said I was a big fish and demanded N350million but my family paid over N50million for his release

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI

About three weeks ago, the elder brother of Governor Bala Mohammed was abducted in a commando style in Bauchi just as at the time the governor announced that he tested positive for the COVID-19 pandemic. The kidnap of the retired Customs officer created panic within and outside Buachi State as well as sent jitters into the spines of family members, friends and associates. It was a trembling time for most residents of the state and the government as well.

The abducted and freed Alhaji Adamu Mohammed Duguri on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 chatted with some journalists on his experience in the hands of his abductors, who he noted are sophisticated in their operations connecting several lines to get to his family members during negotiation thus making it difficult to track.

Alhaji Adamu Mohammed Duguri, the only elder brother to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who was recently kidnapped but released after 14 days in captivity has disclosed that he was described as a ‘big fish catch’ by his kidnappers who demanded for N350m as ransom. 

Mohammed Duguri, who is the Wakilin Bauchi, recounted his experience in the hands of his kidnappers, revealed that he pointedly told the his abductors that there is no way they could not get the amount they demanded because he does not have such amount.

He however said that at the end of negotiations, the kidnappers got more than N50million but not up to the N150m they agreed to collect as ransom.

Duguri said; “The money was paid to them to secure my release. The entire amount was paid by my family without a single kobo taken from the coffers of the state government.”

In line with his conviction as a devout Muslim, Duguri restated that he has forgiven his kidnappers so that it will serve as a way for God to touch their hearts and turn them back to the path of righteousness and good living particularly at this period of the holy month of Ramadan. 

The 65 years old Adamu Mohammed Duguri, who is a retired Customs officer further said; “By forgiving them, l know they are human beings and they will think twice. Giving them capital punishment is not the remedy. Anybody who forgives, God will forgive him equally. What my abductors did is not in any way a good action; but to me, there must be some reason which l don’t know, nobody knows but only God knows.

“They said they have not kidnapped somebody as big as l am. You know, l was a uniformed man before, they know l knew all what they were doing. They felt l was a threat to them and were demanding N350 million and I told them that if they continue to look for that kind of money, l will continue to be a liability to them”. 

“I also told them that l have acclimatised already. I eat well. The only thing was l don’t sleep well because it was on a mat all of us were sleeping. They gave me three pillows and supplied me apples, Maltina, anything l wanted, they gave me. l told them if you are looking for money, Bauchi State doesn’t have it”, he added. 

Duguri further said that he asked them saying; “Or are you thinking you want to demand for more money so that the Bauchi State governor will bring money and you will release me and impeach him? Because they told me there was a kind of problem in the state (House of) Assembly which was centred on whether the governor would remove money from Bauchi coffers and release me.”

The Wakilin Bauchi recalled that at a point, his abductors became sentimental saying that the Bauchi government was their own and that anybody that goes against the government, they can kill him. “So, when l noticed that, l had to follow their sentiment. I told them l don’t have that money. I said look how much is a barrel of oil today? They said it’s about 25 dollars. I said ok. Where do we get our money from?’ I reminded them of the committee which said trillions of naira were missing. What do we do? They said, ok they would see what they can do. 

“They were negotiating with people outside, not me, and relayed what they had discussed. They said they would come to N100 million. I said: ‘look, l would continue staying because nobody will give you that money. They suggested that if they release me whatever they can collect they will. Later, l said but how will you collect the money?” 

He continued; “They said there is no way because if they come to my house, l will shout. They said that one is not possible. We gave them the ransom but it was not up to N100 million because my family did well on that. It was about N50 million. As an old man, why should l even lie and l can afford N50 million. I don’t need it from Bauchi State government. I can afford it”.

Duguri also said that he was released without the intervention of security agents, saying; “When l understood they had gone mystical, l knew that nobody would see us. In the event that their mystique failed and police came, we don’t have any sophisticated rescue operation”.

“What l was afraid of was for security from outside to come close to where l am because if they come, l would die because they could open fire and all of us would die because l know they do not have a sophisticated rescue plan. We don’t have, so l was so cautious. I asked them, now how do you trek because l knew the level of trekking.”

“They said they would not talk because they would be trailed. They were educated. Western education, not only religious… They knew what they were doing. They had to take my voice and relay it to somebody in Kaduna. That person will send it to Kano and they will call my family. That was what they operated. So, when we did that twice, l said to myself that the level of any tracking will fail.

“You must change and they agreed. They went to Gombe, not Jos this time because of the anti-tracking. To get the anti-tracking on, it took time because l wouldn’t have stayed there long. They were even complaining that l stayed too long that they were afraid”.

Duguri lamented that kidnapping and other vices were rampant and common among Nigerian youths because of the absence of a clear cut policy on youth development and a high youth unemployment

Concluding, Duguri said; “Because when you leave the idle mind, it would start thinking of how to patch up and be like the other person? They want to take from society. They are more in number. They have physical strength, they have time and issues tying them down and that can be volatile for all of us in the future if it continues like this”.