Police: We don’t have report on abduction of 150 persons in Sokoto

The Sokoto police command says there is no official report on the alleged abduction of 150 residents of Sabon Birni LGA of the state.

Speaking with TheCable on Monday, Rufai Ahmed, the police spokesperson in Sokoto, said top officers of the command have been around the Sabon Birni since the killing of the Emir of Gobir by bandits on August 21.

Reports are claiming more than 150 persons were abducted from Sabon Birni villages days after the killing of Isah Bawa, Emir of Gobir, in Gatawa town.

“In this part of the state, nobody is denying the incidents of banditry and kidnapping, but there is no way police can know an incident of kidnapping that is not reported to the police,” Ahmed said.

“There is nothing like kidnapping 150 people. If so, be it, they have been kidnapped; nobody from the community came to report to the police that people have been kidnapped.

“When people come to report to the police, we immediately move to the area to confirm. Most of them are under threat that if they report, they (bandits) will come for them again. So, they will rather remain mute. Sometimes, when we go there, they even deny it.

“But nonetheless, there is nothing like 150 people kidnapped; we don’t have that official report.

“Immediately after the death of the Sarkin Gobir, myself and deputy commissioner of police, head of the operation, and our sector commander, since Friday morning, we were there; we didn’t return to Sokoto until 6pm.

“There was no report like that while we were there. On Saturday, we still went back to Sabon Birni, and there was no information like that. How would this be true?”