Gunmen kidnap Maiduguri bizman, kill policewoman, daughter

Four gunmen Monday kidnapped Alhaji Ali Budum, a prominent businessman shortly after he arrived home from his shop in Maiduguri.

Daily Trust gathered that Budum was however released some hours as sources said his family had paid unspecified ransom to the kidnappers.

However, a 17-year old girl who was also kidnapped in a separate location on the same day was not lucky as she was found dead in the early hours of yesterday.

Her mother, Sarah Mala, who was a police officer was killed in her Jiddari Polo residence on the fateful day before the assailants dragged away the girl whose body was later found along Gambole road in the outskirt of Maiduguri.

“After the mother (Sarah) was killed on Monday night, the gunmen tied the hands of the daughter and whisked her away to unknown destination. It is today (yesterday) that her body was recovered,” a neighbour of the deceased.

Spokesman of the Joint Task Force, JTF, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa confirmed that he was aware of the killing of the police woman. “I am yet to hear anything in respect of the daughter or the businessman that was killed,” he said.

Budum was reportedly trailed home from his shop at Bolori Stores where another prominent businessman Alhaji Abubakar Girgir was killed in the last week of December.

A family source said the merchant was bundled into his car at gunpoint around 5.30pm in front of his house at Bolori area along Baga road.

“Later, the kidnappers reached the family through phone call demanding for some money as ransom and one of the children reached out. They also threatened that failure to pay the ransom will cost the life of Alhaji Budum,” the source said.

Another said the family was apprehensive to approach the Joint Task Force or the police , saying “No! No! There is the danger of reporting this case to the police, because the moment we report, the captive will be killed instantly. We are however pleased and gratitude that Alhaji has been released…he came back home safety and reunited with his family”.

Residents said miscreants are taking advantage of the Boko Haram insurgency to perpetrate heinous crimes, including armed robbery, car snatching and lately kidnapping.

DailyTrust