"Right now, we are suspecting all the officers at the Kaballa Police Station because any information given to them, these kidnappers get to know about it,” a source told SaharaReporters.
Kadi Community of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State was thrown into confusion, following the abduction of the village head, Alhaji Kabiru Abubakar, by masked gunmen.
The incident was said to have taken place on Saturday, as the attackers stormed the village and shot sporadically into the air.
Aside the village head, two other women were also taken away.
A source close to the family, who preferred not to be named, told SaharaReporters that the kidnappers had, on Monday last week, stopped the vehicle of the village head when he was on his way to Chikun LGA, where he was billed to attend a meeting of all village heads, which was summoned by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State.
The source explained that Abubakar was travelling in the company of his some of his people, but was ambushed along the road by the armed bandits, who attempted to kidnap him. Abubakar was said to have made entreaties to the gunmen to spare his life, as well as other people in his entourage before they let him go.
The village head, afterwards, went to Kaballa West Police Station to make a formal report of the incident. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was quoted as saying that the manpower in the station was inadequate to trail the attackers. He, however, noted that he had informed the state command about the incident.
Following the abduction, family members accused Kaballa West Police Station of complicity, as the source alleged that the kidnappers seemed to be privy to information given to the Police.
The kidnappers were said to have questioned the village head on why he reported the previous incident at the police station, since they had let him go unhurt.
"Right now, we are suspecting all the officers at the Kaballa Police Station because any information given to them, these kidnappers get to know about it,” the source stated.
As such, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police was urged to investigate the connection between the station and the kidnappers.
Citing the example of a member of staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who was also kidnapped recently, the source stated that the victim’s brother went to the station to report the matter, and kidnappers told the victim in the bush where he was being held, that his brother had gone to make a report at the station.
At the time of filing this report, family members of the village head have not been able to establish contact with his abductors. Reports have been made at several police stations, including Kaballa West. Also, efforts by SaharaReporters to reach the Police Public Relations Officer in the state were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off.