The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Suru Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Alhaji Bako Bala, has been killed by suspected gunmen. The assailants reportedly kidnapped Bala from his hometown, shooting him before abandoning him in critical condition.
A post by Alhaji Zaidu Bala Kofa Sabuwa, Special Adviser to the Kebbi State Governor on Television and Radio, confirmed that Bala was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Birnin Kebbi, where he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
In a related development, bandits kidnapped another individual in Matseri village, Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State, and shot a young man, who is currently receiving treatment at the same medical facility.
Attempts to get a response from the Kebbi State Police Command spokesperson, SP Nafiu Abubakar, were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
Kebbi State has been grappling with a surge in kidnappings for ransom, despite efforts by security forces and the state government to dismantle criminal hideouts and rescue victims.
In a separate incident, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command arrested four notorious kidnappers terrorizing Abuja and surrounding areas. The suspects, identified as Yau Sani (also known as Baba), Nuhu (also known as Giwa), Kabiru Mohammed, and Yusuf Hassan, were apprehended on October 1, 2024, at their hideout in Sauka, Abuja, following intelligence reports.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, stated that the suspects confessed to multiple kidnappings across the FCT and nearby states, resulting in the deaths of seven victims. The group had targeted areas including Dakwa, Dawaki, Aco Estate, Zuma Rock, and several villages in Niger and Kaduna States.
Following their arrest, the suspects led police to another hideout in the Gauraka Forest, Suleja, Niger State, where authorities recovered four AK-47 rifles, thirteen magazines, and 162 rounds of live ammunition. The police also thwarted their plans to attack government institutions and estates within the FCT.
