APC senatorial aspirant kidnapped in Bauchi

Police have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers

An All Progressive Congress, APC, senatorial aspirant for Bauchi Central, Samaila Ilalee, was on Monday, abducted from his residence in Darazo, headquarters of Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

Mr. Ilalee represented Darazo and Ganjuwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. He was kidnapped by a gang of 10 gunmen and taken to an unknown destination. It is suspected that the gunmen could be those who attacked Soro Town in Ganjuwa Local Government Area last week, killing a police officer and his son.

A close family member, Nasiru Darazo told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Ilalee’s house was attacked between 12:00 midnight and 2:30 am Monday.

Mr. Nasiru said an event – the distribution of poverty alleviation materials by Dayyabu Chiroma, representing the area at the House of Assembly – slated for February 16 was postponed due to the presence of the gunmen in the forest near Darazo Town. He also claimed that security agencies in the state were aware of the presence of the gunmen in the bush.

“And we also suspect that they are responsible for recent robberies and the killing of people in this area,” he said.

The spokesperson for the Bauchi State Police Command, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident.

“The police received a report that at about 0200hours, some gunmen dressed in security operatives’ uniform, numbering about 10 went to Samaila’s house and kidnapped him. The Bauchi Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ladan, has ordered a manhunt and whenever we arrest the suspects we will let you know,” the police spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested two suspects for the attempted assassination of the Peoples Democratic Party chairman of Shira Local Government Area, Samaila Tambuwal.