The residents of Ibi community in Taraba State have celebrated the return of a notorious kidnapper Hamisu Bala popularly known as Wadume, after being released on completion of his jail term from Kuje prison, Abuja.
Penpushing reports that the convict was rearrested in 2019, a few weeks after soldiers attacked a police team that arrested him in Ibbi, Taraba State 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, and on completion of his jail term he was set free last Friday, and on return to his community he was given a rousing welcome, a development condemned by the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria
Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that 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, however, set Wadume free after killing some of the police officers who had arrested him on August 6, 2019.
The ex-convict on return paid homage to the Chief of Ibbi, Salihu Danbawuro, after addressing the crowd that received him, and expressed appreciation to the chief and the people for standing by him throughout the period of his trial.
Penpushing also reports that in response Danbawuro told Wadume that he and his subjects were happy that he was out of prison and return to Ibbi, his hometown of Taraba state, stressing that the entire people of Ibbi chiefdom are happy that he is now back.
The record, however, has it that it is recalled that three police officers and two civilians were killed during the incident, while five other police officers were injured.
Penpushing reports that Chairperson of the Taraba State Chapter of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, Joseph Gimba, in reaction expressed dismay with the public celebration of the return of a notorious convict.
The Chairperson emphasized that the celebration was condemnable, unfortunate, uncalled for and criminal, lamenting that 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. 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 added.
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