16th March, 2020
Nigeria’s military authorities are shielding 10 soldiers connected with Taraba kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, aka Wadume and have refused to release them for trial.
This came to light on Monday when the Police arraigned Wadume and 19 others before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Inspector General (IG) of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, slammed Wadume and his accomplices, with a 16 count charge bordering on terrorism, murder, kidnapping and illegal arms possession.
Justice Binta Nyako ordered the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai to produce the army officers who were alleged to have aided the escape of a suspected kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala (Wadume) in Court.
She also ordered the Chief of Army Staff or any other person in whose custody the suspects were to provide them in court by March 30.
Nyako ruled that the court shall enrol the order to the prosecution so that they could serve it to the parties involved.
The suspects ordered by the Judge to appear before the court are the 2nd to 11th respondents in the charge.
Soldiers of 93 Battalion, Takum, Taraba State, on 6 August 2019 shot members of a special anti-crime squad from the Inspector General of Police Office, who had arrested Wadume and were transporting him to the state police command, Jalingo, for interrogation. The soldiers killed three policemen and two civilians on the spot.
Earlier, Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Simon Lough told the court that on Jan 7, 2020, the IG of Police wrote to the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, seeking for the release of the 2nd to 11th defendants to the police for arraignment and prosecution in court.