The chairperson of the Taraba State chapter of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, Joseph Gimba, on Monday, expressed dismay with the public celebration of the return of a notorious convict, Hamisu Bala, also known as Wadume, from the correctional service centre in Kuje, Abuja.
Mr Gimba told PREMIUM TIMES in Jalingo, the state capital, that the celebration was “condemnable, unfortunate, uncalled for and criminal.”
Wadume, a suspected kidnapper, was rearrested in 2019, a few weeks after soldiers attacked a police team that arrested him in Ibbi, Taraba State, on its way back to Abuja.
The soldiers attached to Battalion 93 of the Nigerian Army and led by Tijjani Balarabe were at a checkpoint on the Ibbi-Takum road when the police team arrived. They set Wadume free after killing some of the police officers who had arrested him on 6 August 2019.
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Three police officers and two civilians were killed during the incident, while five other police officers were injured.
Wadume was rearrested in Kaduna and sentenced to seven years in prison by a Federal High Court in Abuja for escaping from lawful custody and unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms. The prosecution had failed to prove the charges of kidnapping against him.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Wadume was released last Friday after serving his sentence in the Kuje prison.
Residents gave him a rousing reception in his hometown of Ibbi as they trooped out to receive him on Sunday.
Speaking on the development, Mr Gimba said it was unfortunate that some Nigerians celebrated criminals and those who are a menace to the society.
“There were no proper and timely investigations to bring out evidence to prosecute him on other crimes, but he should not be celebrated,” her said.
“The problem of some Nigerians is a clear case of poverty of the mind. We value wealth so much. They are not even bothered about why he went to prison. They are already waiting for him to come back so that he can continue to distribute ill-gotten money to them.
“We continue to blame the government for the security challenges confronting us, whereas we are celebrating criminals
“We do not need people like that in our society any longer. They need to be isolated so they don’t corrupt more people,’’ he said.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Wadume paid homage to the Chief of Ibbi, Salihu Danbawuro, after addressing the crowd that received him.
He expressed appreciation to the chief and the people for standing by him throughout the period of his trial.
Responding, Mr Danbawuro told Wadume that he and his subjects were happy that he was out of prison.
“I and the entire people of Ibbi chiefdom are happy that Hamisu Wadume is now back in Ibbi, his hometown,” Mr Danbawuro said.
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