The convicted kidnap kingpin Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, who was arrested and jailed has been released from prison after serving his seven year jail term.
He was given a rousing welcome by members of his community in Ibbi, Taraba State by a large a large crowd
Wadume was arrested by men of the Intelligence Response Team of Inspector-General of Police, in 2019.
Justice Binta Nyako sentenced Hamisu Bala to seven years without an option of fine.
In the trial that lasted three years, Wadume was convicted on counts two and 10 of the 13 counts brought against him and six others by the Attorney General of the Federation
Wadume was convicted on counts two and 10 bordering on escaping from lawful custody and unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms.
Other defendants in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/30/2020 are: Aliyu Dadje (a police inspector), Auwalu Bala (aka omo razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu), Bashir Wazlri (aka baba runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul
Media reports indicate that the convict was ferried into Ibbi through River Benue, where he was received by thousands of people, including youths and women.
A resident of Ibbi town, Musa Garba, said the town at standstill for Wadume.
Garba said the elderly and youths trooped out to receive Wadume by the river side and from there he went through the town before retiring to his house.
Another resident simply identified as Nuhu said, “We are in festive mood as Wadume regained his freedom and now out of prison and now with us in in his home town Ibbi.”
It was also reported that Wadumi has visited the Chief of Ibbi chiefdom, Alhaji Salihu Danbawuro, at his palace, expressing gratitude to the chief and the entire people of his chiefdom.
He said through out his trial, the chief and his subjects stood firmly with him and prayed for his safety and good health while in prison.
The chief, Saliha Danbawuro, told Wadume that he and his subjects were happy that he is out of prison.
“I and the entire people of Ibbi chiefdom are happy that Hamisu Wadume is now back in Ibbi his home town.” the chief said.
Controversy trailed his arrest in 2019 after the IRT team of the IGP squad that arrested him were attacked by soldiers. On August 6, 2019, some soldiers attached to Battalion 93, Ibbi-Takum road, led by Tijjani Balarabe, were reported to have set Wadume free and subsequently killed some of the officers who arrested him.
Three policemen and two civilians were killed during the incident, while five other police officers were injured.
The soldiers were now being questioned by a joint panel charged with probing the incident.
In his statement to the joint investigation panel, Balarabe said he used a spoon to open the handcuffs.
Balarabe said he had interviewed one of the injured police officers after Ibrahim Muhammed, an army sergeant, shot at the tyres of one of the vehicles conveying the policemen.
“The guard commander of Gidan Waya told me that the locals arrested one of the suspects and he was with him at the checkpoint and he was having a police ID card; the suspect said he was a policeman from Abuja,” Balarabe was quoted to have said.
“Lt Yushau Saad brought him from Gidan Waya with the ID card. I interviewed him and he said they were sent from Abuja to arrest the alhaji (Wadume). We moved the injured policemen to the hospital and the DCO Wukari (ASP Aondona Iorbee) confirmed that they are policemen.
“When I arrived at the camp, my soldiers and ASP Iorbee and a civilian were removing handcuffs from the alhaji (Wadume). I entered my kitchen and picked a spoon to join them in removing the handcuffs.”
The army captain further explained that he took Wadume and his two sisters to his house while he went to Ibbi town with Saad to retrieve some rifles belonging to the IRT policemen. He said on returning, Wadume had disappeared.
But two weeks after he was freed illegally, Wadume was traced to a house he bought in Kano and rearrested.
Our correspondents, who visited the house located at Yan Dodo after the rearrest, were told that Wadume bought the house a few months before his rearrest.
One of his neighbours, who craved anonymity, said Wadume relocated to the house with some members of his family.
The neighbour said Wadume was captured along with a young man suspected to be his brother.
When suspected Boko Haram militants raided Kuje Prison in 2022, it was reported that Wadume had escaped, but the prison authorities later set the record straight.
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