Troops Comb Bushes For 85-Year-Old Kaduna Emir, Wives, Seven Others

A joint patrol of the Police Mobile Force, conventional police, and the Nigerian Army attached to the Kajuru LGA have stormed Kaduna forest in search of Emir of Kajuru Alhaji Alhassan Adamu and 10 members of his family kidnapped at the weekend.

The emir’s abduction is another in the series of abductions in Kaduna in the last week.

The bandits attacked the residence of the monarch in Kajuru, Kajuru Local Government Area of the state, and kidnapped him and 10 of his family members, according to the police.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said in a statement that the incident occurred around 2.34 am.

According to him, bandits in large numbers and wielding weapons gained access into the emir’s palace, abducted him and 10 members of his immediate family.

The police spokesman said, “The Kaduna Police Command, through the Divisional Police Officer, Kajuru, Kaduna, is in receipt of an unfortunate report on the kidnap of the Chief of Kajuru, Alhaji Alhassan Adamu, in the early hours of today, July 11, 2021.

“The incident occurred around 2.34 am when armed bandits in large numbers invaded Kajuru town, shot indiscriminately, and gained access into the chief’s residence, where they abducted him and 10 members of his immediate family to an unknown destination.

“Notwithstanding, the joint patrol of the Police Mobile Force, conventional police and the Nigerian Army attached to the Kajuru LGA is currently engaged in search and rescue mission around the forest for a possible rescue of the victims, while the IGP’s tactical units have been contacted for technical support.”

While saying that the command was saddened by the latest attack, Jalige urged members of the public to remain calm and “always support the police and other security agencies with credible information that will enable them to curtail any possible attack on innocent citizens before it happens.”

A source close to the Emir had told journalists that some of the abducted persons were aides of the Emir.

He also said that the Emir summoned a security meeting on Saturday in which he disclosed a threat to kidnap him.