Abductors have apologised – Family
Residents of Kajuru town in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Monday took to the streets to jubilate the release of the Sarkin Kajuru, Alhaji Alhassan Adamu, who was abducted with 13 members of his family in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Daily Trust gathered that no ransom was paid for the release of the 85-yearold second-class emir who ascended the throne as
Sarkin Kajuru in 1978.
However, the bandits are still holding the 13 members of his family, including his daughter, grandchildren, as well as a title holder and other relatives of the emir.
At 5:25pm when news filtered of the emir’s release, residents trooped to his residence in jubilation as many tried to get a glimpse of him. The Galadima of Kajuru Emirate Council and one of the five king makers, Dahiru Abubakar, confirmed that the emir had returned home safely and was in good health.
Another member of the emirate council told our correspondent that no ransom was paid for the emir’s freedom, adding that in the middle of negotiations, the bandits had asked them to prepare to pick-up the emir at an undisclosed location.
“A few minutes later, they called us again and asked us to go and pick him up towards Kajuru Castle. We went with a vehicle and some motorcycles and found him close to a village called Gengere, near Kajuru Castle,” he said.
Bandits have apologised - Family source
A member of the royal house yesterday told Daily Trust that the bandits had apologised for abducting the emir and asked him to forgive them before handing him over to relatives and members of the emirate council. The source who was one of those who received the Sarkin Kajuru said the bandits had called them through the emir’s phone number shortly after Asr (sunset prayer) and asked them to prepare to receive him. He said on getting to the location, near Gengere community, three of the bandits; heavily armed and in military uniform, apologised for abducting the emir and sought forgiveness from him.
“We couldn’t believe it. We stood there looking at them while they apologised, saying they had not felt at ease since they abducted him. They told us to go with him while negotiations for the other 13 people will continue tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said.
Daily Trust reports that the bandits had earlier demanded N200m for the release of the emir and others, but the Galadima had then told Daily Trust that the community had resorted to prayers for Allah’s intervention.