A suspected kidnapper arrested by the Taraba State Police Command, Aondoungwa Hindi, has revealed how his gang abducted and killed a member of the Taraba State House of Assembly, representing Takum II Constituency, Hon. Hosea Ibi, on January 14, 2018.
Hindi told newsmen that the Chairman of Takum Local Government Area, Tikari Shiban, allegedly hired them to carry out the crime.
The lawmaker was kidnapped on December 30, 2017 and killed 16 days after despite the payment of N25 million by his family.
Speaking, the suspect confirmed that he was among those who abducted the lawmaker from his mother’s compound in Takum on December 30, 2017.
He said before the operation, Shiban had allegedly discussed with members of the gang, some still at large, on how to perfect the abduction.
Hindi recalled that he was later invited by one Terkura, still at large, and informed that they would use his motorcycle for the abduction.
He said himself, Terkura and two others, who were allegedly “Shiban’s boys”, went to the lawmaker’s mother’s house located in the Nigerian Army barracks in Takum at about 8:30pm that day.
Hindi stated that Terkura and other boys, whose names he does not know, abducted the lawmaker at gunpoint.
According Hindi, he conveyed Ibi and Terkura on his motorbike to Terkura’s house.
The suspect said: “It was the Chairman of Takum, Hon. Tikari Shiban, who asked us to take Hon. Hosea so that he would collect money and buy arms to fight Fulani herdsmen so that they wouldn’t come and burn his house.
“We went there with two of his boys. I carried the honourable on my motorcycle with my friend who sat at the back.
“I saw the chairman when he brought food. He also came and collected the money that was paid for the release of the lawmaker.
“Shiban said he would settle us after fighting the Fulani herdsmen, but he didn’t give me anything.”
Speaking further, Hindin, whose role was purportedly to take the kidnapped Assembly member to Terkura’s house, stated: “The chairman told us that we shouldn’t let anyone to know that he came there.”
“A week after payment of the ransom, Mr. Shiban came to tell us to carry the victim to Kashimbila road and kill him. We dropped his corpse by the road so that people would think that it was Fulani men that killed him.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner, Taraba State Police Command, David Akinremi, said investigation was ongoing.
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