By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Special Military Task Force in Plateau State has confirmed in a press conference on Saturday in Jos that the kidnappers of Alhaji Saleh Umar, a Fulani leader known as Ardo of Kamuru, killed him after he paid the demanded ransom of N2 million.
Late Umar was from Karumu Dutsen Bako in Southern Kaduna.
Parading the suspect before the newsman, the Task Force also known as Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), said that the Ardo who also hail from Ikulu Chiefdom was kidnapped on the 28 of February 2024.
His murder was a potential threat to the community, the OPSH Spokesman, Major Samson Zhakom.
To calm nerves, the taskforce organized stakeholders meetings considering the victim involved, reassured residents that the perpetrators will be brought to book, the taskforce said.
“Few days later, three suspects were arrested in connection to the kidnap and murder”, Maj. Zhakom continued.
“Their names are Shuaibu Mohammed, Bokolo Mohammed and Abdulkarim Suleiman.
“They have all confessed to the crime, so we brought them to testify before the community so the Fulanis will not think it is people from another religion or ethnicity that killed Ardo. This was to rule out the possibility of a reprisal”, the taskforce said.
The kidnappers, while answering questions from journalists, said they killed Ardo after collecting the N2 million ransom because he recognised one of them.
“We butchered him into various parts”, they said.
“The late Ardo was ambushed while on transit and was moved to Ungwan Zomo where he was killed”, our correspondent gathered.
Also paraded, were killers of a discharged Nigerian Air Force Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Hamza Musa who was murdered in his residence at Dutsen Bako village under Ikulu chiefdom in Zango Kataf LGA of Kaduna State by his two sons, Mr Timothy Musa and Mr Yaro Musa as well as Mr Samson Moses a cousin to the deceased.
“A sum of money was stolen from his residence during the incident and shared by the suspects”, the military said.
“Also, we have apprehended the shooter at Bokkos community, during which one person sadly lost his life and another was injured. We also conducted joint sting operations with the DSS to the hideout of railway vandals and economic saboteurs in Plateau State and made huge significant breakthroughs”, the Spokesman for the taskforce said while reading a statement.
“In the same vein, on 25 February 24, security agencies received information on the attempted kidnap of the Sarki of Ikulu, His Highness Sidi Kukah in his place. Personnel mobilized to the location and thwarted the kidnapping attempt. Preliminary investigations showed that Mr Shuaibu Mohammed who was responsible for the murder of the Ardo of Kamuru and two others also masterminded the kidnapping attempt”.
The taskforce revealed that the suspect who shot and killed Mr. Istifanus Musa in Bokkos has also been arrested.
In all, seven suspects were arrested and paraded before newsmen, our correspondent reports.
