UNILAG AD
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Friday, August 12, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
Abubakar Shekau and his men want more expatriates for ransom

Abubakar Shekau and his men want more expatriates for ransom

Exclusive: Boko Haram targets Julius Berger, Dantata & Sawoe expatriates

March 12, 2012
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0

Four days after two foreign hostages were killed in a failed rescue operation, insurgents of the extremist Boko Haram sect have now trained their sights on kidnapping expatriates attached to construction giants, Julius Berger and Dantata & Sawoe.

According to a high-level security official in the administration, a Boko Haram top shot, who was arrested recently by the police, confessed that his team had put an elaborate plan in place to take as many “white men” as possible into custody.

Suleiman Gambo, who is better known as Babangida within Boko Haram circles, specifically mentioned expatriates attached to the two construction companies as prime targets, but that other “white men” could also be kidnapped.

A police team arrested Mr. Gambo, believed to have led an attack on the Tambuwal Police Station in Sokoto, on December 20, 2011 during a raid on a house where some insurgents were hiding.

During the raid, one sect member was killed, two escaped with bullet injuries while Mr. Gambo was arrested. He was brought to Abuja, detained by the police for a while and then handed over to the military for “safekeeping”. 

He is currently being detained at an unknown location in Abuja.

Among other confessions, the suspect reportedly told investigators that a plan to seize hostages was afoot and that members of the sect were desperately searching for a suitable house to keep hostages and efficient vehicles for the operation in Abuja and its environs.

“The plan is that after the kidnap, they would either transport their victims to their counterparts in Algeria in exchange for arms or demand money for ransom as the case may be,” our source said.

The Boko Haram suspect, according to another source familiar with the investigation, also told his interrogators that the killed Briton and Italian hostages were kidnapped by a certain Abu Mohammad, described as the commander of the Sokoto cell of the group.

TEXEM Advert

He also reportedly said one Ibrahim Babayi had full knowledge of how the foreigners were kidnapped from their Birnin Kebbi base, and where they were kept.

The hostages, Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara were seized from their hotel rooms in Birnin Kebbi on May 12, 2011.

They were “murdered by their captors” on March 8, in a failed joint rescue operation by British and Nigerian forces.

President Goodluck Jonathan categorically blamed the Boko Haram sect for the kidnap, and eventual murder of the expatriates.

But the sect later issued a statement, saying it had no hand in the matter, a claim that has been punctured by some sect members in custody of security agencies.

With the latest intelligence indicating that more expatriates might be seized, it is not known whether security had been heightened around foreigners, especially those of the two construction companies.

Police spokesperson, Olusola Amore, could not be reached for comments. He did not answer or return calls to his mobile telephone.

Julius Berger spokesperson, Clement Iloba, could also not be reached to comment for this story. But a company source said security had been scaled up for expatriate staff of the company around the country.

 

 

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate



TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999






PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

PPPRA approves 42 firms for second quarter fuel import

Next Post

Adamawa Assembly intervenes in erratic power supply situation

More News

ASUU- NLC begins solidarity protest in Kano

University Workers’ Strike: Group tells NLC, TUC to declare nationwide strike

August 12, 2022
Fomer governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame of Plateau and Taraba states

Gov Lalong visits Dariye, Nyame, praises Buhari for pardoning thieving ex-governors

August 12, 2022
Governor Nasir El-Rufai

EXCLUSIVE: El-Rufai to Buhari: Boko Haram puts North-west at risk of ‘total darkness’

August 12, 2022
Peter-Obi

Labour Party names leader of Peter Obi’s campaign communication team

August 12, 2022
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Lagos govt disbands taskforce

August 12, 2022
Osun River

Osun Festival: Devotees defy govt, drink contaminated water from river

August 12, 2022
Leave Comment

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • DONATE
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • PT Hausa
  • Dubawa NG
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria