Dennis Amachree, a former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, has revealed that the compound where Islamic cleric, Sheikh Gumi, met bandits in Niger State to discuss the release of the abducted students and teachers of Government Science College, Kangara, is very close to a military post.
Amachree, however, said the security officials were asked to drop their weapons at a nearby military outpost before they were allowed to gain entry into the compound where about 700 bandits were camped.
The former DSS official said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday.
When asked why Gumi was able to easily access bandits while security agents were finding it hard to do so, Amachree responded, “The security agencies are very much aware because if you remember, when Gumi went to see these bandits, remember there was a military post there and they asked everybody to drop their guns and even if they are policemen they should stay at the military post before they come to the camp where they are.
Moment Kidnapped passengers of Niger State Transport Authority regained freedom
“That means the military themselves know that there are some people out there, 700 strong or 600 strong in there. So, it is not a matter of they don’t know. I think they know but you know, you just don’t jump into 700 fully armed people because the tactics have to be planned properly to handle things like that.”
When asked to explain why the security agents didn’t engage the bandits in a gun battle and rescue hostages, Amachree said it was possible that they were trying to avoid collateral damage.
The former DSS official said the bandits could easily use the captives as a human shield.
He added, “When you see bandits like that if their number is large, you will decide whether you want to get reinforcement to move in there. Then secondly, sometimes they have hostages with them and the hostages then become human shields for them.
“So, if you go in there, there will be a lot of collateral damage. So, these are the considerations. I am not currently in the theatre of what is happening there. So, I don’t know what the commanders of that area are doing but I can tell you they are not just sitting down.”
He said it was possible that the Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed on Sunday, killing seven officers and airmen, was on a mission to pinpoint the exact location of the hostages.
Amachree, however, faulted governors for negotiating with bandits.
The former DSS official said rather than pay ransom to bandits, governors should use the money to fund security agencies so that they would be equipped to prevent crime and confront criminals.
We trekked for over 24 hours, beaten all the time – Freed abducted Niger passengers
Meanwhile, the abducted passengers who regained their freedom from bandits on Sunday said that the men were beaten every day and they were threatened that if ransom was not paid, they would kill them in the bush.
They also disclosed that the bandits asked to be forgiven when they set them free.
The Nation reports that one of the freed passengers, Hajiya Jumai Isa said that it was a very terrible experience as she had already given up hope of coming out alive.
“It was a terrible experience but we thank God that we are safe now. It was not easy. They have been threatening us, they beat the men- they really beat the hell out of the men. They told us they didn’t want anything from us but money. They said they want money, that we should give them money, that our people should bring money for them so that they will free us and that if not, they will kill us.”
On feeding, she said that they were served food on their hands as there was no plate to serve them food and that the water was very dirty but they had to drink it that way.
Jumai said that the bandits had sophisticated weapons that she only saw in movies, “Their weapons, I have never seen the type before in real life. They have rockets, guns, AK 47, and other weapons. The bandits were more than 1000 in that bush.”
She expressed appreciation to God and the government for bringing her back safely, “I feel happy being reunited with my family. I thank God I am still alive because I had lost hope, I didn’t think I will come back again.”
On his part, Mohammed Ndagi who was returning from his friend’s wedding in Rijau said that during the abduction, the bandits were shooting sporadically and a bullet swiped his head and he was bleeding but was made to still walk into the bush.
“One of the bullets swept my head. When I saw blood, I thought I wouldn’t survive. But even with the wound, they forced me to move with them into the bush. We walked for about 24 hours. We walked all through the night. They gave us simple food. We drank the water that cows drink.”
He said that all through their ordeal, they all slept on the bare floor and was not tied but had guns pointed at them at all times.
“We slept on the bare floor. They did not tie our hands or tie us at all. They kept guns to our head and beat us all the time. There is one among them that didn’t care if there is a man or a woman, he beats us. They beat us with stick. As they beat us, they kept saying, we need money or we will die here. They are all Fulani. When they want to speak to us, they speak Hausa and when they want to speak to themselves, they speak Fulani,” he added.
Continuing, he said that they were moved from one place to the other adding that on the day they were rescued, the bandits had to escort them to where the people who picked them so as to prevent them from being re-kidnapped.
“On the day they released us, they asked us to forgive them for what they did to us and we said we have forgiven them.
“They escorted us because they said if they leave us to go on our own; some of their partners may re-kidnap us. So they escorted us till where the people who came to collect us are.”
Hamza Buhari also described his experience as terrible saying that in his entire life, he had never trekked the way the bandits made him trek.
“My experience is very terrible and hectic that I don’t wish my enemy. They took us inside the bush. We walked for 24 hours. They moved us from one point to another. They convey the elderly with motorcycles. They beat us daily. They gave us rice on our hands. The experience was very bad,” he recounted.
They were received by the Niger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello and other government officials.
The majority of the Abductees were seen to have difficulty in walking as they were said to have been made to walk in the bush barefooted during their abduction.
Some of them were held while others limped into the conference hall in the government house.
Niger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello said that the released victims were malnourished and unwell adding that the medical team are on the ground to give them medical treatment.
He said that no ransom was paid adding that the government employee the use of dialogue to secure the release of the victims.
The Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello said that the students of Government Science College Kagara abducted by bandits on Wednesday from their school are still in captivity adding that they would be released soonest.
“We still have the students of Kagara in the hands of the bandits and everything is being done to secure their release soonest,” the governor said.
Bello said that the state went through one week of negotiation and dialogue to ensure that the release of the passengers was secured within the shortest possible time.
He said that the state had made the necessary arrangement to ensure that they go through thorough medical services and rehabilitation.
The families of the released passengers were filled with joy over their return.
Also speaking Alhaji Isah Abdukadir who had 19 members of his family expressed gratitude to God and the government for ensuring their release.
Abdukadir who was close to tears said that the past week has been traumatic for his family saying that he is grateful that they are back home even though they are not looking very healthy.
One of the family members who gave her name as Ameer said her mother, grandmother, uncle, and sister were among those released.
Ameer expressed gratitude to God for their release while appreciating the government for ensuring that none of them was killed.
Because of the incidents of negotiations with the terrorists by the Northern Leaders, a lot of people have asserted that they are deliberately sponsoring terrorism to swindle our national commonwealth to the Northern part of the country.
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