Kebbi state before now was described as one of the most peaceful states in the country with relatively low crime rate. This, has however changed over time as our correspondent, KABIRU DOGON DAJI, reports
Despite sharing borders with two Francophone countries: Niger Republic and Benin Republic, Kebbi state has been known to be peaceful since its creation some 25 years ago. However, about two months ago, strange activities of men of the underworld resulting in the kidnaping, killing and maiming of innocent citizens have become the order of the day.
Only three weeks back unknown persons reportedly gained access into the house of a businessman and former chairman of Kebbi State Marketers Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Dandare Mai Bulawus, and slit the throats of five members of his family including his 35-year-old wife and four children. Though, the incident is still under police investigation to ascertain whether or not the hoodlums were hired assassins or ritualists, it is, however, worrisome that not much progress has been made in the case by the authorities.
Blueprint checks indicate that the killings were not ritual-related as the body parts of the victims were intact, this is even as no property was carted away, an indication that the incident was not armed robbery.
Before the gruesome killing of Mai Bulawus family, similar incident had occurred sometime back when brigands suspected to be hired killers shot dead one Alhaji Shekare Dan Adam, a successful businessman, and former State Chairman of the same association at his residence in Birnin Kebbi metropolis.
Also, within the same period, some suspected hoodlums, also believed to have been on assassination mission, visited the residence of another businessman and younger brother to Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
Unlike Mai Bulawus family and Adams, the governor’s younger brother, Alhaji Faruku Bagudu, was lucky as the hoodlums could not accomplish their mission and were subsequently arrested.
Aside the suspicious assassinations and assassination attempts, another disturbing dimension was introduced to the killings, giving rise to fears that ritualists may have seized the peace of the land.
These suspected ritualists who are unleashing terror on the innocent citizens are feared to have been responsible for the death of 26-year-old woman, Suraya Danladi Kode, in Zuru local government area.
Her corpse was exhumed in an unoccupied building in Sange new layout behind Matha Bamaiyi General Hospital in Zuru metropolis, with her right breast and the genital parts mutilated.
A friend of the deceased, Rashida Umar Zuru, who spoke to our correspondent, said the incident occurred on December 15, 2015, noting that Suraya’s elder sister, Na’ome, had sent her on an errand to Zuru from Rijau in Niger state.
She said, Suraya was in the state to collect money from one Alhaji Rabiu Zuru, a businessman and dealer in guinea brocade also known as Shaddah, in the central market, Zuru.
She narrated that: “When the deceased arrived Zuru, she called to intimate me of her mission and asked me to join her but I could not immediately. But I later joined her when she was through at a motor park close to General Magoro’s house where she was to board a taxi back to Rijau town.
“And not long after I joined her at about 8.00pm, somebody alighted from a motorbike and claimed to be a military intelligence officer from 223 Light Tank Battalion in Zuru.
“He said that if Suraya would not mind, she should wait with him for his friend coming with a car so they could take her to her destination, and as well make formal introduction for marriage.”
Rashida further stated that: “Around 9pm I had to take my leave and I left Suraya with the man whom I later came to know as Hassan Bagudu Bedi, also that they met at Alhaji Rabiu’s shop on the fateful day and he was to pick her in a car later as the had earlier arranged.
“However, the next day my phone rang and it was Suraya’s father, Inspector Danladi, asking me the whereabout of his daughter. During investigation, I gave the police some vital information which led to the arrest of Hassan Bagudu Bedi and his accomplice, Alhaji Rabiu, and Mukhtari Diri, and subsequently the exhuming of the remains of Suraya whom they assassinated 40 days earlier.”
Confirming the incident, father of late Suraya, a serving Police Inspector with Niger State Police Command, in Rijau Division, Danladi Kode, told Blueprint that the ugly development has made him vulnerable stating: “I have less than two years to retire from police job. I trained this girl up to the university level hoping that in future she will be the family’s bread winner, but see what has happened.
“I don’t want to remember how I saw her corpse after her dead body was exhumed from the well where they dumped her for over 40 days, yet I recognised her decomposed skeleton.”
The police inspector while recounting the experience in tears, said upon sighting the corpse of his daughter, he fainted and was rushed to a nearby clinic where he regained consciousness hours later.
Similarly, narrating her ordeal, Suraya’s sister, Naomi, who admitted sending her on the said errand on the ill-fated day to Alhaji Rabiu, said she had known the businessman for a very long time even before she got married.
She, however, said that after her marriage, she asked her sister to continue along that line of business with Rabiu, and this had been smooth until that incident which Suraya never lived to tell.
Naomi lamented: “You know human beings can be funny. I heard some rumour making the round that I planned to sell my sister to ritualists. How on earth could I have done that? Only God can save me from my enemies.”
As things stand now, the entire Kode family is passionately appealing to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, human rights activist and journalists to ensure that justice is done in the case.
For them, the confessions made by prime suspects in the matter should be used to ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in other to give the family justice and closure.
“This appeal has become necessary due to the fact that there were speculations that the principal actor, Alhaji Rabiu, had been released on bail by the police and may walk free given his wealth and influence in the society,” Suraya’s father said. He commended the traditional leaders in Zuru Emirate and all well-meaning citizens who stood by him and the family during the trying period.
Efforts to reach the Police spokesperson for the state proved abortive as at the time of going to press, even as police officers at the Zuru Police Divisional would speak to our correspondent on the matter.
According to them, they were not competent to speak to media as only the spokesperson and the Commissioner of Police has the authority to do so.
For the family and the entire people of Zuru Emirate and Kebbi state at large, it is time to strengthen security in the state to avoid further occurrences of similar incident even as they await justice.
