- Family allege frame-up
From John Adams, Minna
A suspected bandit informant from Gumi Community in Shiroro local government area of Niger State has been shot dead by the joint security task force in the area.
Suspect, Salihu Kawu, was accused of facilitating the abduction of about 15 members of the community, including women, by bandits before he was killed by authorities.
According to a source close to the community, the suspect was identified by a pregnant woman, also a victim, who was set free midway into the bush by the bandits on the advise of the suspected deceased informant due to her condition.
The woman reportedly told the local vigilante member from Lantan community who rescued her up from the bush that the late Kawu was among the bandits that abducted them, adding she was set free on the advise of the suspected deceased because of her condition.
“He told the Bandits that they should allow me to go so that I will not put to bed in the bush and that was how I was allowed to go,” she was quoted to have told the vigilante who picked her up from the bush.
It was further gathered that the vigilante promptly alerted the Joint Security Taskforce who immediately launched a manhunt for him, leading to his being shot dead when he attempted to escape arrest.
The family of the deceased informant has alleged a frame up by the vigilante member, Hassan Saidu that reported the incident to the security agents.
The family of the deceased was said to have told the police in Zumba community that the vigilante member decided to frame up the late Salihu Kawu because of the refusal of his (late Salihu) wife to have an extramarital affair with him (the Vigilant member).
Our source further revealed that the wife of the deceased also corroborated the allegation by the family, saying that the vigilante member had approached her on several occasions to have an extramarital affair with her but she turned down his overture.
Our correspondent gathered that the vigilante had been taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department of the state police command, Minna for further investigation.
All attempts to get the command public relations officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun to confirm the incident could not yield any result as his mobile line was not going through at the time of filing this report.