A first-class traditional ruler, Alhaji Mustapha Zubairu Adam, the Gom- Mama in Wamba LGA of Nasarawa State, has regained freedom after an undisclosed amount was paid to his kidnappers.
City & Crime reports that the traditional ruler was on Monday night kidnapped by gunmen but was released a few hours after the incident.
Our correspondent also reports that the kidnappers invaded the traditional ruler’s palace in Kwarra, the headquarters of Farin Ruwa Development Area in the LGA.
It was learnt that the monarch was kidnapped at exactly 7:30 pm on Monday but was later dumped behind the LGA secretariat around 1 am on Wednesday.
A witness told our correspondent that the kidnappers who came in large numbers invaded the mosque within the palace, where they overpowered the policemen attached to the monarch and ordered all the security men to lie face down before abducting the chief.
“The gunmen came in their large number on foot shortly after the traditional ruler and some of his subjects just finished the Isha (nighttime) prayer around 7:30 pm and ordered the security men to lie down and they sized the monarch to an unknown destination.
“As they were going, the traditional ruler collapsed but later gained consciousness. He pleaded with them that he had some money in the palace; they allowed him to make contact and the money was brought by one person. They released the Gom Mama but they took away the guy that brought the money, but I don’t know how much,” the source said.
The incident is coming barely one month after some kidnappers also abducted a first-class monarch of Gurku Chiefdom in Karu LGA of the state, Alhaji Jibril Mamman Waziri, alongside his wife, Hajiya Sa’adatu.
Overseer of Farin Ruwa Development Area, Mr Solomon Gbande, confirmed the latest incident to journalists on Wednesday in Wamba LGA of the state.
He said they had deployed the military and police to trail the kidnappers through the route they followed and to “God be the glory, he was released a few hours after his kidnap.”
“We couldn’t sleep since he was kidnapped around 7:30 pm on Monday; we deployed the army and police to go after the kidnappers and by 1 am, they brought him and dumped him behind the council secretariat in Kwarra, but I am not aware if any ransom was paid,” he added.
