Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Gunmen yesterday morning kidnapped the Deputy Registrar, Administration, of the Taraba State University Jalingo, Mr. Sanusi Sa’ad in his house at the university quarters.
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), of the university Dr. Samuel Shikaa, who confirmed the incident said that As’ad, who is also the Information and Protocol Officer of the university was abducted around I:30 am
Shikaa said the kidnappers invaded the house through the back side of the university that was not fenced and took the registrar away to an unknown destination.
The victim’s brother, Kalid Sa’ad, who also confirmed the incident said that the kidnappers had contacted him and demanded ransom.
He, however, did not mention the amount demanded, saying he was still in talks with the kidnappers.
The university branch of ASUU is currently on strike over insecurity of staff resident at the staff quarters due to lack of perimeter fencing of the university, funding and pension for staff among others issues.
Daily Sun gathered that kidnapping had become the order of the day in the state with regular cases most of which were unreported, even to the police which have appealed to people to trust it with relevant information to help in tracing and arresting kidnappers once they call for ransom.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Taraba State Command Alkasim Sanusi, has denied reports by a section of the media that kidnappers were on the prowl in Jalingo.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer, of the command, David Misal, Sanusi, an Assistnt Superitendent of Police, said only seven cases were recorded since February.
This he added was contrary to the claims that over twenty cases of kidnapping were recorded within the past one week in Jalingo metropolis,
“The attention of the Nigeria Police, Taraba State Command has been drawn to the a newspaper publication dated 24th April, 2019 captioned “Kidnappers on the prowl in Jalingo Metropolis” The Command wishes to categorically state that the publication did not reflect the true situation on ground and therefore, urges the general public to discountenance the report.
“To set the record straight, let me make it crystal clear that the postulations in the article were not founded on any empirical evidence or official criminal statistics.
‘‘We are worried that the report is a deliberate attempt to mislead the general public, create fear and undermine the zeal of the security agencies in the state to discharge their arduous duties.
‘‘For the avoidance of doubt let me state here that from February this year till date only seven (7) cases of kidnapping were recorded in the Jalingo Metropolis and all the victims involved have been successfully rescued by security agencies”.
No fewer than twenty suspected kidnappers have been arrested in the last one month within the Jalingo Metropolis.
