The Sokoto State Police Command has stated that it is unaware of any mass kidnapping involving 150 people in the Gobir Emirate of the state.
According to The PUNCH, this information was shared by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ahmed Rufai, during a conversation with our correspondent on Sunday night.
This response came after Professor Bello Bada from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, revealed in an interview with RFI Hausa on Saturday that bandits had kidnapped more than 150 individuals in the Gobir area.
The kidnappings reportedly took place shortly after the brutal murder of the Emir of Gobir, Alhaji Isa Bawa, and coincided with his funeral.
Professor Bada noted that these kidnappings occurred in the days following the Emir’s killing, with incidents recorded up until Friday of the previous week.
He emphasized that while attacks on prominent leaders are not unprecedented, this was the first instance where an Emir had been murdered in such a horrific manner.
He further described the killing as a significant challenge for Nigeria, warning that the nation would soon grasp the severity of the banditry crisis that has been claiming lives indiscriminately.
Despite these alarming reports, Rufai assured that the police command had not received any official reports from the local population concerning such incidents.
He, however, reassured the residents that the command is committed to collaborating closely with the locals to gather more security information.
“We don’t have any official reports from the locals on such development yet in the area,” Rufai stated. “Let me reassure you that the command will be working in tandem with the locals in the state to get more Intels on security for the benefit of all.”
