No One Is Safe; Nowhere Is Safe

In a March 19, 2022, post, a stunned Abuja parent, tells the horrifying story of how his son, Almin Bature, a serving  National Youth Service Corps member, a graduate of Information Commuuications Technologies, University of  Cape Coast, Ghana, was kidnapped from the high profile Maitama Amusement Park, Abuja.

Date was March 16, 2022.

By Saich Bature (Father)

Like the previous days of the week, Wednesday, March 16th, 2022, started like any normal day for my son, Alamin Saleh Bature, a National Youth Service Corps member and graduate of Information Communications Technology from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

His mother revealed the news of his Kidnapping to me at a time I was about to retire to bed by 9:30pm. It was like a dream. How my wife came into the room, her countenance and the way she was breathing, holding a cellphone to her ear, showed that there was something amiss about that telephone conversation.

Visibly disturbed and disoriented, she looked at me and said, ‘’Alamin has been abducted, but thankfully, the man I have spoken with told me he is safe at Garki police station and one kidnapper was arrested.’’

Ordinarily, Maitama Amusement Park (MAP) should be the last place to expect a kidnapping operation in Abuja. The Park is a bustling resort full of family fun, excitement and an array of activities and eateries. Unfortunately, it was at this spot that the three young men who were camouflaged as Policemen abducted him. The incident occurred around 7:30 pm.

The kidnappers accosted him and accused him of thievery and dope-pedaling. They handcuffed him and forced him into a waiting Toyota Corolla car. As soon as they sped off, and out of the sight of the people at the Park, they asked their captive to give them N100,000 to bail himself and go scot-free.

They stopped at the Access Bank branch at Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 where they forced him to empty his account by withdrawing the last N30,000 in the account.

To frighten and compel him to succumb to their demand, they took him to a dark spot near the former SARS office, a notorious Nigerian Police detention cell, equivalent to the former USSR prison camp at Serbaria. It was at this point that the urgency to scape and save his life  from the captivity of those wolves dawned on him.

He told them that the transfer he was expecting must have entered his account. Unknown to the greedy and wicked criminals, it was this attempt to get more money from their abductor that led to freedom for my son and the arrest of one kidnapper who, incidentally, own the vehicle with which they committed the crime.

At the Zenith Bank branch on Lagos Crescent, he ran away to save his life. They pursued him until he fell to the ground because of exhaustion. A commotion broke out when Alamin told the crowd about what had transpired and showed the receipt of the N30,000 they forced him to withdraw from his account and give them. As the commotion ensured, an ‘’ambush team’’ of Security men arrived the scene. Two of the kidnappers escaped with the vehicle but one was arrested.

On reaching the Garki Divisional Police station on Lagos Crescent, Garki II, two armed Police officers at the gate showed me to a parking space and led me to the office where my son was writing his statement. On the floor near the entrance to the office, I saw a young man, light in complexion, handcuffed to a steel column (who was obviously the kidnapper), some armed Police officers in uniform, two men in traditional Hausa attire and a light-skinned, well-built, man with a thick and full moustache in a jeans trouser and a T-shirt who was later introduced to me as Godpower Chinaechrem.

Godpower, a Christian of Igbo extraction, and the other 2 Hausa men I mentioned earlier were the good Samaritans God used to rescue my son.

When one kidnapper showed his fake police identity card and were about to go with Alamin, he held Godpower’s hand firmly and said, ‘’I am not a thief. Don’t allow them to go with me, please.’’ Like a revelation from above, Godpower felt that the victim was innocent of the spurious charges against him.

Godpower said, he saw the innocence in the eyes of the hapless and helpless young man, and he empathized with him immediately. He questioned why they did not detain their alleged criminal at the Maitama Police station? He, therefore, insisted that the boy must be taken to the Garki police station which was not more than 100 meters away from them.

It was at this point the security men arrived the spot and God helped them to arrest one of the three kidnappers.

It is important to share this unpleasant experience for people to know that there is now no safe place in Nigeria. We should not take our personal security for granted. Kidnappers can operate with ease and impunity anywhere in Nigeria.

They have changed tactics with which they can easily deceive gullible people. They have the audacity to move around with handcuffs, pepper spray, fake ID cards, uniforms, guns, duty belt, badges and other Police officer’s equipment and accessories to deceive and arrest innocent bystanders in public places.

It has happened to my son. It is really a traumatizing experience and trial that could happen to anybody at an anytime.

May the Supreme Lord of the world, who has power over all things, protect us from the evils of kidnappers. May He also expose and punish them for their crime.