Police Rescue Kidnapped Bauchi Lawmaker

A 10-year-old girl was hit by stray bullet during an exchange of gunfire by a joint team of men from the Bauchi State police command and members of a vigilance group and kidnappers of a member of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Yusuf Nuhu, on Thursday night.

The girl, Hauwa’u Auwal, subsequently died at the hospital where she was being treated, while the lawmaker representing Lame Constituency of Toro Local Government Area was successfully rescued from his captors.

Nuhu was kidnapped at about 7.00 p.m. in his residence at Zalau village in Toro Local Government Area on Monday, March 3.

A family source had said the kidnappers demanded a N20 million ransom.

A statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Haruna Mohammed, said the lawmaker was rescued after a gun battle with his abductors, adding that the lawmaker was in a stable condition.

According to the PPRO, “On the 13th of March, 2014, at about 22:30hrs, joint police/vigilante group while on rescue operation at Rimin Zayen in Toro Local Government Area had a fierce gun battle with gunmen suspected to be kidnappers of Hon. Yusuf Nuhu.

“As a result, a stray bullet hit a 10-year-old child, Hauwa’u Auwalu, on her leg. She later died at the hospital while receiving treatment.”

Mohammed disclosed that sensing that the game was up, the kidnappers abandoned their Golf 3 vehicle with registration number: MKR 553 AA and escaped into the bush with bullet wounds.

He added that five expended ammunition of 7.62mm were recovered from the scene.

Nuhu was kidnapped less than 24 hours after three polio workers were kidnapped in Darazo Local Government Area of the state.