Gunmen ambush, abduct Kebbi Assembly Deputy Speaker after prayer

By Ibrahim Bello

The Deputy Speaker of Kebbi House of Assembly, Alhaji Muhammad Sama’ila-Bagudo, has been abducted by suspected bandits in Bagudo Local Government Area of the state.

The Deputy Speaker was abducted on Friday night at about 8:20 p.m., by a gang of gunmen in Bagudo town shortly after he observed Isha’i prayer on his way home, the Kebbi Police Command said in a statement on Saturday.

The Command, in the statement issued by its spokesperson CSP Nafi’u Abubakar in Birnin Kebbi said a joint team of security operatives are already working to rescue the abducted Deputy Speaker.

He said the rescue team was made up of police tactical unit, military personnel and vigilantes to track down the abductors and ensure safe rescue of the deputy speaker.

“The joint team is currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forests with a view to rescuing the lawmaker unhurt and arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” Abubakar said.

He added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bello Sani, had reiterated the command’s determination to protect the lives and property of residents across the state.

“The CP has also appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to support the police and other security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the state,” the PPRO pleaded.

However, the police statement did not indicate of the Deputy Speaker was with any security operative at the time of his abduction.

Kebbi, in North West Nigeria is one of the states that has witnessed frequent kidnappings and killings as a result of activities of bandits and terrorists.

Recently, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has threatened to boycott Courts across the state over the recent abduction of one of its members identified as Isyaku Muhammad-Danjumma.