Security
Mother, 45, Accused Of Kidnapping Dies In DSS Custody
A 45-year-old woman who was arrested and incarcerated in connection with a kidnap case has died in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nasarawa State Command.
Salamatu Adamu, a mother of 2 girls and a boy, who is known to be working in a grain grinding machine in front of her residence, was staying at Tudun Kofa in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital.
Our correspondent gathered that, a little boy in the area, whose detail is not known as at the time of filing this report, was kidnapped, and a man, whose identity is also yet to be known but is believed to still be in the custody of the DSSS, allegedly accused Salamatu of knowing the whereabout of the kidnapped little boy.
According to the man, in a confessional statement to DSSS, claimed that he was in a nearby Mosque meditating, when he saw Salamatu, chased a number of children, who were obstructing her with dust and noise from their play. And that, since the children left the scene on that fateful day to another location to continue with the play, the said little boy was not seen till date, hence, Salamatu was arrested.
The husband of the deceased woman, Musa Shittu Mohammed and his family have, however, appealed to the Director General of the Department of State Security Services, Ahmed Abubakar Bichi, to in the spirit of fairness ensure the perpetrators of this illegal and inhumane acts are brought to book.
According to Mohammed, “we appeal to your good office, as a good citadel of fairness to intervene and order a discrete investigation on the perpetrators of this illegal and inhumane acts and to ensure that justice is served for the peaceful repose of her soul, if not, we will be forced to explore legal arsenal against your establishment without notice,” the husband said through his counsel.
An eyewitness, who don’t want his name in print confided to our correspondent that, Salamatu was said to have been picked by some fierce looking men, dressed in all black, and forcefully dragged the deceased into the Sharon vehicle, where she was asked to kneel in the vehicle, while some of the personnel were busy beating her till they zoomed off.
In a complaint letter written to the Director General of the DSS, National Headquarters, Abuja, dated 17th November, 2023, and signed by Abubakar Abubakar Dogara Esq and 8 other practitioners of A. A. Dogara & Co, a copy which was made available to Elanza News, is seeking justice.
A. A. Dogara & Co, is a Lafia based law firm, engaged by the husband of the deceased, Mallam Musa Shittu Mohammed, to unravel the circumstances surrounding Salamatu dead and to ensure justice prevail.
The letter, which titled: “complaint against the Nasarawa State Office of the Department of State Security Services (DSS), on the unlawful detention and eventual murder of Salamatu Adamu of Tudun Kofa in Lafia, Nasarawa State,” captured how the deceased woman, Salamatu Adamu was arrested, tortured and murdered by personnel of the state command of DSS.
According to the Counsel to the deceased, “it is our client’s firm instruction that on the 7th day of November, 2023, at about 9am, while he was working on his farm land at the Federal University of Lafia in Lafia, Nasarawa State that, he received a distress call from his wife (Salamatu Adamu), who in his considered opinion appeared and/or sounded to have been in some kind of danger and needed his help.
“However, due to the noise from the background, he couldn’t fathom what was happening to her. Our client immediately switched off his call and placed a call across to her, but her number was no longer connected, as the officers of the DSSS had switched off her GSM handset.
“Our client, consequently rushed back home and only to be greeted with the devastating news from his daughter that his wife was picked up by some unknown men in a Sharon vehicle, whom upon further investigations, our client later discovered to be personnel of the Department of State Security Services, serving in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Command.
“Considering how disturbing the incident was, our client immediately swung into action and visited the Nigeria Police Force, Area Command along Jos road, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Lafia Command and all other Divisional Police Headquarters within the state capital, but there was no trace of her from the men that too her away from their residence.
“It was against this backdrop that our client reported the situation to the Madakin Lafia, Alhaji Isiaka Dauda, and the Madakin recommended that he reports the matter to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of “A” division in Lafia.
“It is our client’s further brief that the following day being 8th day of November, 2023, our client then reported the matter to the DPO as recommended by Madakin. Upon the said report, our client together with the DPO then visited the Department of State Security Services at the Lafia and made the same inquiry about his wife, but they were told that the head of operations is not on seat, and they asked out client to drop his contact to enable them reach out to him for a possible appointment with their head of operations, which he gladly did.
“However, towards late hours of the said day, our client got a call from them, asking him to come around tomorrow morning in respect of the case he reported.
“The next day on reaching their office, our client was told that there was no woman in their custody that matches his description; however, he can check her out at the Specialist Hospital, which he did.
“However, on reaching the said Specialist Hospital, our client was also told that, there is no any woman that matches his description of her currently on admission in this hospital, except if our client will have to check the morgue.
“An act which our client manifested, but reluctantly visited the morgue, only to received the shock of his life, upon finding the body of his wife lying lifeless without any explanations of what happened to her, and how his healthy and vibrant wife ended up in a morgue, without any lawful justification.
“Only to be informed that her corpse was deposited by some personnel of the Department of State Security Services.
“Considering the mysterious circumstances surrounding her arrest, unlawful incarcerations and eventual murder, our client and his family are devastated and constrained from taking any legal actions against the perpetrators of these dastardly and heinous acts,” the letter reads.
The Oodua Integrity Group, a Nigerian civil society organisation, has called on Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to investigate and arrest an alleged gun runner, land grabber,popularly called then insert Lucky Blessings Abuah aka bullets of Achala Ibusa village operating in Asaba and Ibuzor, Delta State, accusing him of orchestrating criminal activities with the aid of rogue police officers.
Tosin Olaoluwa, the group’s South-South coordinator, made the appeal following intelligence gathered from concerned residents.
The suspect, identified as Achala Ibusa but popularly known as “Bullet,” is accused of running a network involving illegal arms trafficking, land grabbing, and cult-related activities.
Olaoluwa claimed Bullet operates with the protection of police officers from Rivers State, in violation of regulations prohibiting officers from working outside their command without approval.
According to the group, four AK-47 rifles were recently discovered hidden in a house in Ibuzor.
Two mobile police officers guarding the property reportedly distanced themselves from the find, raising suspicions of their involvement with Bullet, who is allegedly a leader of the Viking cult.
The Oodua Integrity Group further alleged that an assistant commissioner of police is complicit in Bullet’s activities.
The group highlighted that up to 10 mobile police officers are attached to Bullet, despite IGP Egbetokun’s recent directive to withdraw such personnel from individuals not legally entitled to their services.
“We urge the IGP to take immediate action to arrest the culprit in the interest of the general public,” Olaoluwa said, describing Bullet as a miscreant exploiting government security agents to perpetrate crimes.
In a separate incident, the group claimed that security agents from an agency in Abuja, acting on intelligence, were prevented from arresting Bullet by his police escorts.
The officers, reportedly from Rivers State, allegedly used tear gas and fired shots to obstruct the operation.
The Oodua Integrity Group warned that Bullet’s activities, including stockpiling AK-47s and other weapons in Asaba and Ibuzor, pose a significant threat to public safety.
They called for a thorough investigation into the allegations and the immediate apprehension of those involved.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to respond to the allegations. Efforts to reach a spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The Kaduna state Police Command has debunked reports of a bomb explosion in the Abakpa area of the metropolis, which reportedly killed two children.
The spokesman of the Command, Mansir Hassan, said in a statement that preliminary investigations conducted by the Anti-Bomb Squad indicate that a locally made firearm (Dane gun) was discharged, resulting in the unfortunate loss of life of the young boy.
According to the police, the incident, which occurred at about 8:30 am on Tuesday at Josawa Road in the Abakpa area, claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy, identified as Abubakar Muhammed of Josawa Road, while seven other individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The statement stated that a combined team of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer of Kawo Division and the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Chairman of Kaduna North Local Government, all visited the scene following a distress call, and a thorough on-site assessment was carried out.
Police disclosed that further investigations and assessments are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Command equally assured the public that further developments will be promptly and transparently communicated.
The Kwara State Government has come under scrutiny for failing to act on a 2020 security report warning of the rise of a new terrorist group, dubbed the “Mahamuda Terrorists,” in Baruten Local Government Area (LGA), according to documents obtained by Elanza News.
The report, submitted to the governor and top officials, highlighted the potential for escalating insecurity if the situation was left unchecked, a prophecy that has now materialised into a full-blown terror operation.
The Baruten Patriotic Agenda (BPA), which authored the report, expressed dismay at the government’s inaction, describing the situation as “deeply disheartening.”
The BPA’s prescience in forecasting the grave consequences of neglect has only amplified the tragedy, with the region now grappling with a surge in armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, youth restiveness, and trans-border crimes.
Baruten LGA, located in Kwara North Senatorial District, is the largest local government by landmass in Kwara State, covering 9,749 km². Bordered by the Republic of Benin, Niger State, Kaiama LGA, and Oyo State, it is predominantly inhabited by the Batombu ethnic group and is an agrarian society heavily reliant on grain farming.
However, the rising tide of insecurity has stifled socio-economic progress and violated residents’ fundamental rights to safety.
The 2020 report proposed a comprehensive security framework to address the multifaceted challenges in Baruten, including farmers/herders clashes, communal disharmony, and drug abuse.
Among its recommendations were the establishment of a Peace and Security Committee by the Local Government Council, comprising traditional leaders and stakeholders, to strategise on conflict resolution.
It also urged the state government to expedite judicial processes on chieftaincy disputes to prevent further unrest and to deploy a delegation to pacify warring factions.
Drug abuse was identified as a potent social vice, with the Wadatta Mining site near Biogberu and several locations in Gwanara Township serving as epicentres for the sale of illicit substances like tramadol, marijuana, and “Skake-and-die.”
A recent tragedy in Dameru, Bwen/Kiyoru Ward, saw 26-year-old Abdulrazak slump and die after overdosing on marijuana and other drugs. The report named notorious dealers, including Idris Bagi Abdulrazak (aka Patrick) in Gwanara and Sabi Togo in Yakira, the latter suspected of orchestrating a N1 million theft.
The BPA further highlighted rising incidents of rape, with a recent case in Gwanara involving the daughter of a local vigilante, Ayinde, underscoring the growing threat to vulnerable groups.
To curb the menace, the report recommended that the state government direct local councils to form an anti-drugs task force and establish rehabilitation centres for repentant drug abusers.
Religious disharmony, though rare, was also flagged as a potential flashpoint, particularly due to the use of loudspeakers during worship, which has caused friction among residents near religious centres.
The BPA stressed that the proposed security framework, if implemented holistically, could significantly reduce crime in Baruten.
However, the state government’s failure to act on these recommendations has allowed criminality to fester, leaving residents on edge and the region’s socio-economic fabric in tatters.
Meanwhile ,efforts to reach the Kwara State Government for comments on the matter were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.