Abubakar Ahmadu, a Fulani transporter and chairman, Ekolo Livestock Market in Ibadan the Oyo State Capital narrated how one Usman Adamu, the Sarkin (head of) Fulani in Kwara State allegedly masterminded his organised abduction sometime in July, 2022. Abubakar could not recall the exact day of the month but he was pretty sure that it was on a fateful Friday afternoon, immediately after the Juma’a prayer.
According to him, he is also the Deputy Commander, Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Eyenkorin Zone.
Speaking with EVENTNG, Abubakar opened up that he had earlier received a call from his boss, Alhaji Kehinde Hussein, telling to get in touch with one Alhaji Saka who is a secretary to the Kwara State Commander, VGN who is better referred to as Sarkin Daji to plan their forthcoming seminar at Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area of the state. So, soon after the Friday prayer, he went to see the said Alhaji Saka at his along Garin Alimi axis in Ilorin. He said, at the end of the meeting, he went out to get inside his Toyota Corolla car where he parked it opposite Alhaji Saka’s office to journey back to Eyenkorin.
Abubakar recounted his ordeal in the hands of his alleged abductors: “Suddenly a tinted Toyota Sienna bus containing three men with one of them wearing Army uniform parked beside me and waylaid me. They asked me to enter the bus. For some moment, I argued with them but but I was later overpowered. Right inside the vehicle, I was blindfolded as my hands were tied to the back. I didn’t know when I got to Sobi barracks.
“At the Barracks, I was shocked to see Usman Adamu, the Sarkin Fulani of Kwara State inside his Toyota Corolla car and he asked me about what happened. I told him I didn’t know what my offence was. After some minutes, he queried if I understand Hausa Language and I replied in the negative, pretentiously telling him I only understand Yoruba and Fulani. He bought my pretence, thinking I don’t truly under Hausa Language, he later asked one of my abductors, by name Haruna in the Hausa Language to tie me very well (Ku ɗaure sosai). So I had to play along. They asked me to lie down. Usman was with us from about 3:30pm to about 6:00pm that day.
“They kept me in a room within the Barracks premises with no food nor water. On the 4th day Usman came back to the Barracks and they laid mat for him to sit and he asked me if I knew the reason of my arrest, I answered in the negative and he asked about the N25 Million house I built and the N30 Million I built. I told him it was only a rumour. Later, they tied me to a tree with my two legs tied separately for some hours. He pressed further pestering me to reveal all my properties, so that they won’t kill me.
Usman Adamu, Sarkin Fulani of Kwara State, suspected kidnap kingpin
“He later ordered Haruna, Sahu and one other guy whose name I don’t know to untie me. But after being untied, I could not walk property due to the excruciating pains I had so gone through while being tied to the tree for hours. In a nutshell, they returned me to the usual room.
“On the 15th day, Usman came again and ordered that I should be handcuffed and put inside the Toyota Sienna car and be driven to Ogbomosho to deliver me to a police team. When we got there I didn’t know what had transpired between my abductors and the police operatives as they were having indistinct conversation. I was brought back to Sobi Barracks.
“On the 18th day, one of the soldiers, Haruna told me that they were waiting for my family members to bring ransom so that they would set me free.
“On the 20th day, Sahu and another two different soldiers apart from Haruna and one other guy whose name I don’t know came to pick me with that same Toyota Sienna and drove along Jebba Road in the night after passing Oloru the car parked and they put me on a motorcycle. I discovered it was the Sarkin Fulani of Kanbi, Giɗe Mohammed who was riding the motorcycle. He took me to his house in Kanbi. I was in total perplexity, when I saw my family members including my father inside his house. I was shocked. Giɗe said to my younger brother, Jelani Farouk, “You said you won’t hand over the ransom to us until you see your brother. So, we have brought your brother here and you can now hand over the money to us.” Immediately, my brother have him the money and they set me free. That was how I went home with my family that day.
“Meanwhile, when I got home, my younger brother told me that they had taken the money – a total of One Million Naira to the State Security Service and they had marked every note for easy identification before they were delivered to my abductors so that it will be easy to arrest my abductors and it serve as evidence upon their arrest.
“So, the following day all the culprits involved were arrested by the SSS and charged to court.”
Speaking before Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the High Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital, Monday, January 9, a brother of the victim, Ibrahim Ahmadu corroborated the story, claiming the family had to sell some of Abubakar’s property and had to get a loan to meet up with ransom.
He noted further that he was present when the marked ransom was delivered to the Sarkin Fulani of Kanbi, Giɗe Mohammed who then passed it to the kidnappers before his brother was released to them.
