Militant assassins or military excesses, where lies the insecurity in Yola? – The Periscope Global
Saidu Inuwa Adamu and his brother Umar, nieces to Alhaji Hassan Adamu the Wakilin Adamawa, risked death Sunday, when they were alleged to be trailed by four gunmen in military uniform driving a military camouflaged Hilux vehicle, to their house located at Dougirei, a highbrow area in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
The ugly incidence occurred just a day after Dr. Aisha the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, held a post-election peacekeeping conference aimed at uniting the entire stakeholders in Adamawa for peaceful coexistence and progress in and of the state.
Added to the disharmony and dissention resulting from the seeming divergent interests and political differences, were the insecurity resulting from the oppression and broad day rubbery engaged by notorious wee smoking, out of school youth without attitude called “‘yan shilla” and the dreaded abduction for ransom, which followed the herdsmen – tribal militiamen conflict that claimed scores of lives and destroyed many villages and hamlets in the southern senatorial zone of the state.
Dr. Aisha’s fraternity conference, sued for peaceful coexistence, unity and Harmonious relationship. However, some gunmen could be thinking that keeping peace would amount to suspending their potential source of income. Therefore, they could have thought, it must just have to be rebelled against.
Saidu and Umar were driving back home passing by the fire service to cross the roundabout. Coming from the bank road, the unsuspecting gunmen in a military Hilux vehicle, were also said to be crossing the roundabout some few metres after Saidu and his brother, Umar said.
Little the latter did know that it was a kind of cat and rat race, as they were not asked to stop for any offence, if at all it was ever committed.
When they arrived home at Dougirei, before they could get out of the vehicle, the four gunmen who have been trailing them, rushed into the house. Using their guns, they smashed the entire glasses of, before shooting to puncture all the four tires of the vehicle. One of the bullets was alleged to have hit Saidu on his legs before he was mercilessly beaten to near unconscious, Umar said.
The gunmen were said to have left, with the intervention of an elderly rather courageous man, while Saidu, escorted by policeman, was taken to hospital for treatment.
The is to suggest that the other incidence was duly reported to the relevant law enforcement agency, a family source would reveal to the Periscope Global Investigate.
Who were the gunmen and why were they kitted in military uniform and driving a military camouflaged Hilux vehicle?
Were the gunmen actually military?
On whose authority were they shielded to unleash violence against unarmed civilians trailing them to their home?
What could have been the offence of the unarmed to have been visited with such a high handed treatment?
While he was being beaten, Saidu was able to capture the name tags of two of the four gunmen; one was Sani and the other was Shuaibu J.
There were also the shells of the bullets used to puncture the tires of the vehicle, should there a need for forensic investigation to identify whether or not the four gunmen were military, for them to advance a reason, convincingly too, in justification of their actions.
The bullet shells were with the policemen sent to the scene of the incidence.
The military as a defence and peacekeeping institution, is highly respected, well rated and commended for the services being rendered in addressing the issues of insurgency and other forms of insecurity.
The military and media relation advocated for, is a applauded as a laudable project. However, the excesses of the bad eggs should have to be addressed as much as the general public should be enlightened on the military – civilian relationship.
Newsmen on investigation would want to have Saidu’s side of the story. However, he was on medication, the family source said. He couldn’t speak at the moment.
Attempt to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer in Yola to confirm receipt of complaint failed because the medium for the media mediation could not get to favour it as at the time of the press.