The incident happened on Friday night when the assailants forced their way into the palace of the monarch in Ibbi Local Government Area and abducted his family members. The monarch, Dansalama Adamu, a third-class chief, had travelled out of his chiefdom when the gunmen stormed his palace.
The whereabouts of the monarch’s wives and son remained unknown at the time of filing this report and there was no contact between the kidnappers and the family. The police spokesman in the state, DSP Usman Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, saying some suspects had been arrested in connection with the abduction.
Abdullahi stated further that efforts to rescue the abducted family members of the monarch were ongoing, adding that the suspects arrested had provided useful information to the police which could lead to the rescue of the abducted victims.
Meanwhile, the people of Ibbi Local Government Area have expressed their concern over the incessant cases of kidnapping in the area. They called on security agencies to intensify their efforts towards securing the release of the abducted victims and to bring the perpetrators to book.
In his reaction, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State condemned the abduction of the monarch’s wives and sons, describing it as barbaric and callous. He called on security agencies to ensure the safe release of the victims and to intensify their efforts towards curbing the activities of kidnappers in the state.
The governor also assured the people of the state of his administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of lives and property, urging them to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the security agencies.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a major security challenge in Taraba State and other parts of the country, with several cases reported in recent months.
Security experts have called for urgent measures to address the situation, including the deployment of more security personnel and the use of technology to track and apprehend kidnappers.