Wadume’s Hero’s Welcome And The Cry Of A Nation, By Dr Abubakar Alkali

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: Convicted Kidnap kingpin and bandit, Hamisu Wadume was released from the Kuje prison Abuja Friday last week after purportedly serving his 7 year jail term only to be given a rousing red carpet welcome by his immediate community in Ibbi town, Taraba state…. the same people he kidnaps and terrorises before he was captured in 2019.

A well known kidnapper by every measure being given a hero’s welcome after serving time by the same people he terrorises simply because he gives them free money and is ‘generous: This is the definition of our society, the height of outrage and the reason why kidnapping, corruption and terrorism may continue to be part of our communities for a long time to come .. that’s if these vices will ever go away in Nigeria. Pray they do!

Wadume, pronounced in Hausa to mean ‘What do you mean’ is a very popular political thug, kidnapper and gun runner in Ibbi town. Taraba state. He is fiery but very generous to his people. His fiery nature earned him the nick name ‘Wadume’ as he fondly charges at his opponent during even a light argument, posing for a fight with an aggressive exclamation ‘Wadume’ which he meant as ‘What do you mean’. He cannot help at his inability to correctly say the phrase and has to convert English to Hausa having dropped out of school at JSS 3 before going into fish business after which he is alleged to diversify to kidnapping and political thuggery.

Wadume is fairly rich by Nigeria’s economic standards and is said to be well connected to top politicians in Taraba state and the country at large. He needs these politicians for protection, relevance and money just as they need him for the votes.
It is a win-win situation.

Wadume dishes out money freely to his people in Ibbi to buy political relevance, recognition and respect. How he comes back to kidnap these same people he gives free money and takes his money back through ransom is beyond me. Wadume actually ran for a house of assembly seat in the 2019 elections which he lost.
‘I am political thug, not a kidnapper’ Wadume once claimed but his conviction on being in possession of firearms and subsequent jail time added to the previous allegations of kidnapping say otherwise.

On Wadume’s return to Ibbi last week, a sea of youths and women were at the seaside to receive him as he was ferried to Ibbi through the sea. The Emir of Ibbi Alhaji Salihu Danbawuro was gleefully on tip toes waiting to receive ‘our son’ the famed Kidnapper at his palace to ‘accord’ him something akin to a national honour.

The emir Alh Danbawuro didn’t mince words at the ‘state reception’ organised for Wadume to say that himself, the entire officials of his emirate and all his subjects including those not present at the reception for whom he stood proxy, are PROUD of their ‘son’ Hamisu Wadume. The emir added that he is happy that Wadume is back to join them in the community .. but stopped short of adding ‘to continue to kidnap us’

Recall that in 2019, Kidnapper Wadume was arrested by the police special squad (IRT) but allegedly freed by soldiers. Wadume used his connections amongst the security agencies to escape and fled to his native Kano state. The CO of the army battalion in charge of Ibbi actually confirmed that he (the CO) used a spoon to unlock the handcuffs and set Wadume free. Wadume was tracked to Kano where he was rearrested by the police and arraigned before the court, tried and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment only.

The price of Wadume’s dramatic escape from the hands of the police IRT during the firefight between police and soldiers was costly as 4 lives were lost in the ensuing melee.
In the Ibbi battle to free Wadume between soldiers and police:

• 3 policemen were killed
• ⁠2 civilians lost their lives
• ⁠5 Officers sustained grave injuries
  Now that Wadume is free, how will the families and loved ones of these fallen gallant officers who lost their lives when they attempted to arrest Wadume feel?

You may ask yourself, if just one kidnapper has been convicted by a court and hanged in public, will we be having the current high level kidnapping and insecurity in Nigeria? Will it not have served as a lesson to other kidnappers that there is a heavy price to pay for kidnapping and terrorism?
Why are terrorists who kill the innocent being freed in the name of ‘amnesty? An amnesty for any so-called repentant terrorist will only institutionalise terrorism in Nigeria. The military should be allowed to do their work and use force to wipe out these terrorists.

There has to be a deterrent for kidnapping and terrorism to stop in Nigeria. Right now, a conventional deterring penalty is missing in the template to check kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria.

Not one single bandit, kidnapper and terrorist has been convicted by Nigeria’s extremely weak criminal justice system despite the fact that over 100,000 innocent citizens have lost their lives to kidnapping, terrorism and secessionist activities between 2017-2023. Capital punishment has to be the penalty for convicted kidnappers if Nigeria is to get to the root of the kidnapping industry.

It is preposterous that kidnappers, bandits, terrorists and secessionists are rewarded with chieftaincy titles and aggravated celebrations by the same people they torment daily. This is Nigeria! Who cares?

The former accountant-general of the federation Ahmed Idris who allegedly stole over N86 billion of public funds was rewarded with a chieftaincy title of Ajiyan Hausa (the custodian of the treasury and wealth of Hausa people). The same people who’s wealth Idris allegedly converted to his own and left them wallowing in abject poverty while he uses their own money to marry the youngest of brides. Ironic, you will call this glorification of corruption. How will corruption not be an institution in Nigeria in these circumstances?

Ado Aliero, the dreaded kidnapper tormenting the people of Tsafe General area in Zamfara state, was turbaned by the emir of Yandoton Daji Alh Aliyu Marafa on 16th July 2022 as the Sarkin Fulani of Yandoto on the orders of the then Zamfara state governor and now minister of state defence, Bello Matawalle.
Recall that the terrorist Ado Aliero is alleged to be responsible for the deaths of over 100 residents of Zamfara state in a single attack.

This culture of glorifying kidnappers and terrorists and turning back to complain about terrorism and kidnapping will not solve our problem. Terrorists and kidnappers should be despised, annihilated and declared persona non grata by any sane community. Given terrorists a rousing welcome is like a blank cheque and the tonic that people like Wadume need to continue their attacks on our communities. This has to stop if the fight against terrorism is to succeed.

The government should sanction any traditional ruler who allows such a show of shame to take place in his community. Where are the security agencies: the military and the police while these ‘rallies and chieftaincy title conferments for kidnappers and terrorists are taking place? Such ceremonies should be stopped by the security agencies. No court order is required in this case.

Next stop:
We are waiting for celebrity Kidnapper and billionaire Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans to be received by his people in Nnewi, Anambra state on his release from prison.

Communities are now competing and trying to outdo each other as to who offers the highest chieftaincy title to a bandit, kidnapper and terrorist. The competition is now too intense as to which community gives the best welcome red carpet reception to a kidnapper after his release from prison?
Of course these titles are not for sale. They do not go for free as the traditional rulers involved are alleged to receive millions of Naira in return.

There should be a law to stop the conferment of chieftaincy titles and giving red carpet reception to kidnappers, bandits, secessionists and all terrorists. This amounts to an aggravated glorification of terrorism and corruption and any traditional ruler, political leader or subject who engages in such acts is complicit and should be tagged a ‘co-terrorist’ a ‘co-conspirator to terrorism’ and should be tried by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Nigeria must think out of the box to stop the menace of kidnapping, secession and terrorism

Cry my beloved nation.