From Umar Dankano, Yola.
The Adamawa State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a strong vigilante leader, Haruna Ali Ngamjego and three suspected kidnappers at Kenje Village in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Spokesman of the Command, DSP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje made the confirmation in Yola Wednesday stressing that the incident occurred on Monday night when a gang of alleged kidnappers and local thieves attacked the slain vigilante commander at his residence with the vision to kill him.
Nguroje explained that the late commander was overpowered by the gang members even though he struggled to kill three of them while he was subsequently shot and killed at close range during the physical scuffle.
Nguroje said the police have not made any arrest yet but are trailing on the members of the syndicate.
He gave the names of the murdered suspected kidnappers as;Manu Buba Joda,Aliyu Abdullahi,Haruna Sani Abdulkareem as well as the Vigilante Commander,Haruna Ngamjego
However, an impeccable source from Jada town who spoke to our reporter on phone interview under condition of anonymity stated that the slain commander happened to be a torn in the flesh of these criminals for his great contributions in complimenting efforts of security operatives in arresting and prosecuting them in that localities.
The source maintained that they purposely launched the attack to eliminate him in their numbers using a Toyota Starlet car and seven motor cycles but he resisted gallantly by killing two before they achieved their mission.
According to him, they struck around 11pm on Monday night and that the skirmishes and sounds of shooting alerted his troop members who mobilised and chased the criminals away unceremoniously.
“They struck his house at 11am and ordered him to follow them or they kill him,he physically resisted in the event he killed one notorious kidnapper by name,Manu Machako who was a petrol hawker in Jada in the struggle.
“As Manu shouted for help and re enforcement from his colleagues outside the house then another followed and was also stabbed to death by hilarious commander Haruna before more numbers trooped in and shot him at close range,” the source added.
The source stressed that the ring leader of the kidnappers syndicate,one Alhaji Bello Gankiri ,who they accused to be the supplier of arms to the gang has made the list among those alleged members at large and that they have been a source of security threats to the area for long.
Similarly, youths from Girei local government area of the state have barricaded the Yola-Mubi Express Way to protest alleged release of arrested kidnappers by police authorities.
Protesters in their hundreds disrupted traffic flow for hours on Tuesday as motorists became stranded while the youths insisted that the state commissioner of police must come in person address them.
The spokesman of the youths who is also the traditional youths leader (Sarkin Matasa) in Girei District, Saidu Hamman Girei, said they had credible information that some of the suspects they helped the police to arrest with strong evidence had been released.
He lamented that kidnappers had caused the death of 10 resident and collected more than N60 million in ransom from their innocent victims in recent time..
“We mobilized and supported the security in arresting about 11 suspects with incriminating evidences but what we are hearing now is that there is order from the police headquarters that the suspects be released”, he alleged.
“We want the Commissioner of Police to come and tell us why because serious tension is brewing here. I had to intervened yesterday to stop the youth from burning down Girei police station,” Hamman-Girei said.
DSP Nguroje denied the allegation, saying currently a number of kidnap suspects were facing trial at the court.
