* Request husband to present himself in replacement of the abducted wife
The Periscope reporter
* The resisted husband waits in expectation of ransom to secure wife’s freedom
* Security agencies, vigilantes, hunters, Fulani groups are after the gangsters, poise to end kidnappings, criminalities – LG Chair
While some local governments and communities in Adamawa state, northeast Nigeria were celebrating the dividends of democracy with the commissioning of completed projects and other developmental drive on June 12, marking Nigeria’s Democracy Day, in memory of the president Nigeria never had, Chief MKO philanthropist Abiola, whose election victory was annulled on June 12, the seeming ostracised Maiha local government, her districts and communities are subjected to mourning and lamentations; cries of injustice, neglect and insecurity.
The hope and thought Jalingo-Maiha conceived, was that June 12 would be celebrated with the coronation of the Emirate Council selected and recommended and the courts declared district head.
A Yola High Court, in her judgement about three years ago, has directed the state governor to approve the appointment of the legitimate district head; nullifying the governor’s unlawful appointment of a butterfly claiming to be a bird, moralising Yoruba proverb.
The Appeal Court, equally sitting in Yola, has about nine months ago, passed her judgement, affirming the High Court judgement.
The courts orders are however challenged by the undue executive delay, for which interpretation pointed out to the uncontrolled executive unconscious bias, on the whole, to beg for the who is who’s intervention with a view to put the monarchical record rather legitimately straight.
Jalingo-Maiha district head palace to this day, remained vacant; over eight years after the demise of the district head, the Ubandoma of blessed memory.
To add insult upon injury, the AK47 wielding gangsters, numbering more than ten, raided Jaba-Jaba village of Mbilla district, in the early hours of 11pm, of the June 12, shooting sporadically in the air, to scare the community, threatening any resistance, such that the residents of Wuro Iya, Maiha Gari and Nasarawo neighbouring villages who were not asleep, helter skelter took to their heels and without knocking, to their houses to lock themselves, enveloped in prayers, hoping not to be among thise be abducted for ransom.
All exits into the town including footpath were said to be barricaded by the gangsters, bragging that they were beyond the security, beyond the law, beyond being repelled the billion worth rebellion.
Their target was an established farmer, a local business man, Alh. Yusufa Sali who owned a Mitsubishi Van parked in front of his house, following a rip-off, said to be by an informant in the village.
The gangsters demanded for money from Sali, he could not give them. He also courageously resisted to be taken away, he is rather killed; he was beaten and booted without mercy when he refused to recommend to the criminals, one from among his two wives to be kidnapped as his replacement. They then opted to abduct the eldest wife.
The next day, being today, the gangsters invited Sali to replace his abducted wife; a request he could only trust like a fox. He would rather wait for them to demand for ransom, to secure the wife’s freedom.
Kidnappings have now become pastime in Maiha local government area even with the international security meeting against cross-border criminalities.
Just the night before, a resident was abducted in Tambajam village; ransom for freedom is however yet communicated.
“If one is considered as being wealthy as per local level, he is automatically a sitting duck.
“People will now be forced to minimise their farming activities so that they can have low harvest, lest they incur the wrath of the AK47 wielding gangsters, even as maize is selling at N24,000 per bag among other grains.
“It seems it’s a conspiracy aimed at destroying the economy of the country,” a resident lamented.
According to a social commentator, “it’s high time people face the hard truth that insecurity as it relates kidnappings, has unfortunately assumed overwhelming position that every society has to find her on way of dealing with the monster.
“In Kogi state for example, every town is forming very formidable vigilante to defend herself. The effort has paid off, pointing to the very significant reduction of kidnappings in the state”.
Confirming the ugly incident, the chairman Maiha local government, Hon Idi Ali Amin has revealed to the Periscope reporter that everything was under control, assuring that survivors would soon regain freedom without the consideration of ransom, “allied forces of security agencies, vigilantes, hunters and the Fulani groups are after the criminals. They’re poised to end kidnappings, and criminalities”.
Commenting on what was considered as “state of state neglect” of the local government, the chairman said, “Maiha isn’t left abandoned, there are more June 12 to celebrate. Maiha will soon have her turn of development with the present government.
“Government can’t allocate projects everywhere at the same time with the paucity of funds, you know. It should have to be based on batches.
“There’s brilliant plan for the local government. It only called for patience”.
On the monarchy in Jalingo-Maiha. Talking about the delay by the governor to approve the appointment of the legitimate district head, the chairman commended the continued peace and patience of the community and the ruling family. “It is now a history. Every power or authority, every employment or appointment, is according to God’s time as He decreed.
“When it’s not God’s time, nothing will come to pass. Now that it’s God’s time, we shall soon celebrate the coronation of our district head in peace with the approval of the appointment.
“Jalingo-Maiha can now proceed with the preparation for the coronation without further delay. Now it’s the God’s time.