The arraignment of Taraba kidnap kingpin, Bala Hamisu, popularly known as Wadume, and his accomplices, was stalled by the delayed transfer of the suspects in military custody
It is gathered that the police had concluded their investigations and were ready to arraign the suspects, but they were constrained by the military authorities’ alleged refusal to release the principal suspect in their custody, Captain Tijjani Balarabe, and his boys to the police.
Wadume was assisted to escape from the custody of the Intelligence Response Team by soldiers attached to Battalion 93, Takum, who also attacked the police team conveying the kidnap kingpin to the Taraba State police headquarters on August 6, 2019.
Three policemen and two civilians were killed during the incident while five other police officers were injured.
The fugitive was subsequently re-arrested at his hideout at Layin Mai Allo Hotoro area of Kano State following a manhunt launched by the police special forces and IRT led by DCP Abba Kyari.
A senior police officer confided in our correspondent on Monday that charges had been prepared against the suspects, noting that the police legal team was ready to proceed with the prosecution of the suspects.
The source said, “The force legal department has already prepared criminal charges against the suspects and as soon as they are filed and the case assigned to a judge, the suspects will be arraigned. Even, if the military fails to hand over the indicted soldiers to us, we would continue with the prosecution of all the suspects.”
The source further revealed that the police legal team had been given a copy of the report of the seven-man Joint Investigative Panel headed by Rear Admiral T.I. Olaiya.
Apart from Wadume and Balarabe, other suspects who will be charged include the former Ibbi Police Station’s crime officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Aondonna Iorbee, and the ex-station officer, Inspector Aliyu. They have been dismissed from service for “collaborating with criminals.”
The crime officer was alleged to have made over 200 phone calls to Wadume while the station officer allegedly destroyed evidence showing that the IRT operatives documented the operation to arrest the kidnap kingpin at the Ibbi Police Station.
In a viral video released shortly after he was re-arrested, Wadume had admitted that he was rescued from police custody by soldiers who also cut off his handcuffs.
Wadume had also told the detectives how he met the Captain at the palace of the district head of Ibi town, from where they struck friendship after the gang leader gave him N30, 000.
The suspect, who was a fish trader before he delved into arms trafficking and subsequently kidnapping, also claimed to have fuelled army patrol vehicles.
When contacted, the force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, said the men would be arraigned “very soon.”
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