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.
Orji Kalu, the senator representing Abia north, says the federal government should urgently address the growing insecurity in many parts of the country.
In a video posted from China on his social media page on Monday, Kalu warned that terrorists may overrun the south-east region and Borno if no action is taken.
The senator said the worsening security situation requires decisive intervention devoid of politics.
Kalu, who chairs the senate committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC), urged the federal government to commit more resources to security agencies to confront the threat.
He warned that insecurity in Nigeria is no longer a matter of political argument but a dire national crisis.
The senator was reacting to a recent warning by Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, who said insurgents have regained control of parts of the state.
Kalu said the situation in Borno mirrors the growing threat in the south-east and called for immediate intervention to prevent a total collapse.
“I want to believe Professor Zulum that the security situation is deteriorating every day, so we need to step up, especially in the south-east,” the lawmaker said.
“Our south-east governors are doing their best to fight insurgency. I would like the federal government to step up security in the south-east because it’s a gateway for people transporting goods from the ports and refineries.”
Kalu also faulted the ongoing disagreement between Zulum and Mohammed Idris, minister of information, over the state of security, insisting the president must be told the truth.
“For me, Professor Zulum and the minister don’t need to argue. These are fundamental issues. If we don’t tell President Tinubu the truth, the place will be ungovernable,” he said.
“So, it is better we tell him the truth on the condition of the insecurity situation in Nigeria.”
He commended the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies, noting that they have shown commitment in the face of limited resources.
“Our Nigerian Army has been doing their best, and I congratulate them — especially the chief of army staff, the inspector-general of police, and other security chiefs — for all the efforts they have been putting in,” he said.
Kalu urged the federal government to channel more funds, equipment, and attention to Borno and the south-east.
“We cannot play politics with insecurity; we should take the art of governance very seriously,” he said.
The senator advised the minister of information to consult security chiefs before issuing public statements on security matters.
“No governor or president wants his people to die, so I urge the minister of information to step down some of the statements he is making about insecurity and should also consult the chief of army staff and the inspector-general of police,” he said.
“The national security adviser has also been on top of his game, but people should stop making statements without consulting the security agencies.”
Kalu expressed confidence in the security leadership, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), and called on Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu in tackling insecurity and rebuilding the economy.
“The DSS will continue to provide information. I believe Tosin is very capable — he is a young lad who is capable,” he said.
“We can rid all these criminals away and build our economy to be strong. Let us stop politics and concentrate on the economy of Nigeria.
“President Tinubu has done his best; let’s support him to build our economy together.”
Zulum recently expressed concerns over the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings across the state.
He spoke on April 8 at a security meeting attended by military commanders, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders.
On Sunday, Mohammed Monguno, senator representing Borno north, said any government that fails to guarantee the safety of its citizens does not deserve to remain in power.
Speaking in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, after a security meeting, Monguno, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said security is the fundamental purpose of government.
The explosion followed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists on the dilapidated and deserted road which passes through the Sambisa forest.
According to several sources, the explosion happened while cars on a scheduled military-escorted convoy were transporting passengers from Damboa to Maiduguri on Saturday leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries.
The Maiduguri-Damboa Road links Maiduguri to several local government areas in Southern Borno and has been a hotspot for Boko Haram terrorists for over a decade.
The road was closed to vehicles and commuters until the administration of Babagana Zulum opened the road for passengers to travel to Damboa, Chibok and other LGAs in southern Borno with the help of a military convoy serving as security cover for the commuters.
The convoy traverses the road two times a week after scanning for IED by the military and this has been going on for over two years now.
The injured persons whose numbers are yet to be specified have been conveyed to a hospital in Maiduguri for prompt medical attention.
A student of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK) has been abducted by unidentified gunmen following an off-campus hostel attack.
Channels reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at Istijaba Villa in Unguwar Jeji area of the state.
Witness accounts said five armed men entered the hostel to demand money from students who were taking a walk outside.
But the students refused to give in to their demands, which led to an assault from the attackers.
A resident, who was said to have attempted intervention, was shot dead while a final-year student of economics, simply identified as Madubiya, was whisked away by the assailants.
Responding to the incident, Muhammad Zaiyan-Umar, the vice-chancellor of FUBK, visited the scene in the company of the officers from the Kalgo police division and Department of State Services (DSS).
Addressing the students, Zaiyan-Umar said the university is committed to ensuring their safety and security.
It is understood that the VC has communicated the incident to Nasir Idris, the governor of Kebbi state, through the secretary to the state government and the director of security services at the cabinet office.
As of this reporting, the Kebbi state police command has yet to respond to enquiries about the incident.
In 2021, rumours soared of a planned attack by bandits after a heavy security presence was observed on campus.
At the time, the management of FUBK dismissed the claims.