No contact with Judge and wife terrorists abducted 4 days after incident
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police have confirmed terrorists on June 21 kidnapped Borno High Court Judge Haruna Mshelia, his wife, orderly, and driver while travelling from Biu to Maiduguri in the North East, the hotbed of Boko Haram Islamist jihadists.
“There has not been any contact with the terrorists,” said Borno police command spokesman Nahum Daso, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the abduction.
Mshelia, who adjudicate cases in the State High Court in Maiduguri, was travelling in his vehicle along with his wife and the two others.
Reports said they were abducted as the vehicle approached a curve on the road between Buratai and Buni-gari, where a group of armed men emerged from the bush and barricaded the road.
The vehicle screeched to a halt but the driver attempted to manoeuvre its way to escape.
Chaos ensued and the vehicle was stopped by another group of terrorists who took the victims hostage and whisked them away into Sambisa Forest, the stronghold of criminals where Boko Haram has kept some Chibok schoolgirls since 2014.
The Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Buratai-Biu road, a distance of 120 kilometres, has been a death trap for many years because of its deplorable condition faced by motorists and passengers.
It is the only route that links at least five council areas in Southern Borno (Biu, Hawul, Bayo, Shani, Kwaya Kusar) to Maiduguri as the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road is closed.
Police confirm abduction
“We received a report today from one Sani Audu through the Divisional Officer of Biu that on 21st of June, 2024 at about 9am, the Justice with his wife, orderly, and the driver were kidnapped along Biu-Maiduguri Road, specifically at Jiba town,” Daso said.
“There has not been any contact with the terrorists, however, the police have put all security measures to see that the victims are rescued.
“The police through the Borno State Police Commissioner has delegated a Special Investigation team which comprises the State Intelligence Department and other tactical squads in collaboration with other security forces and the DSS to see how they can get forensic evidence they can get to enable them to track and retrieving the victims.”
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