Yuguda Condemns Kidnap Of Journalists, Urges FG To Overhaul Security Network

Gov. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State recently condemned the kidnapping of four journalists and their driver and called on the Federal Government to overhaul the nation's security network.

Yuguda made the call in Bauchi through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad.
Yuguda told Newsday that kidnapping has assumed an ugly trend and required urgent surgical operation of the nation's security network.

He said: ``as a matter of urgency, it is apt to quickly overhaul the security system in order to nip the ugly development in the bud before it goes out of control.
`` The kidnap of the journalists is a national disgrace and an affront on the security system.
``Nigerians must put all hands on deck and assist the security operatives with relevant information to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime.''

Yuguda, however, commended the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ogbonna Onovo, for temporarily relocating his operational office to the south-eastern part of the country.

Newsday reports that the journalists, Wahab Oba, Sylvester Okereke, Adolphus Okonkwo and Shola Oyeyepo as well as their driver, Yekini Aziz, were on Sunday abducted at gun point about 10 kilometres to Aba in Abia.

They were on their way to Lagos from Uyo in Akwa Ibom after attending the NUJ National Executive Committee meeting.
The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N250 million.

by Ateed Yusuf

Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Kubwa, CSP Nasir Mohammed `says the Division has recovered three stolen vehicles, Mohammed made this known in a chat with Newsday in his office. According to him, most of the vehicles stolen in the area were moved away around mid-night, explaining that strong measures would be taken to ensure hoodlums or bad eggs have no breathing place in Kubwa and its environs.

He further pointed out that thorough searches have been mounted to pin down hoodlums at checkpoints.
“We have four major routes out of Kubwa and we placed our policemen there to be searching vehicles coming in and out of the Area”, he added. CSP Mohammed also noted that they had arrested one members of the gang who specialized in stealing vehicles, pointing out that he revealed their mode of operation.

This he added that the act has been assisting them in no small measure towards tracking down such culprits.
The DPO also stated that his men also arrested one criminal with master keys, stressing that the man was caught while trying to steal a car battery. Commenting on the level of crime in the area, the Kubwa police boss said crime rate is low adding that for a long time only one attempted robbery was recorded in the Area.
According to him, “as soon as we got information about their movement we sent a patrol team to trace them in their hide outs.”

CSP Mohammed also appreciated the efforts of community leaders in Kubwa for providing the police with useful information and while urging other members of the society to do same, he stated that security is the responsibility of all. “Everybody is a stakeholder leaving security for the police alone is not a right decision. You have to contribute towards protection of lives and property”, the DPO advised.

Mohammed used this medium to appeal for understanding and cooperation of the general public, stressing that complementing the efforts of police is necessary.
He therefore called on residents of Kubwa to remember the need to supply information to police on time as doing so would assist police prevent crime rather than detecting it.