Sada, a
former board member of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, was reportedly
kidnapped with his driver.
The
development came barely three days after the suspension of the Executive
Secretary of the NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, for three months over alleged
embezzlement of funds.
The
suspension was to pave the way for a thorough investigation at the NHIS.
It was
gathered from family sources that Sada was travelling from Abuja to Kaduna when
he was stopped by the kidnappers around Katari area at 4.30pm.
It was
learnt that his family had been in contact with the kidnappers who demanded for
an undisclosed ransom.
Sources said
the suspected kidnappers opened fire on travellers along the Katari area during
the abduction killing a woman.
An
impeccable police source told one of our correspondents that the kidnap was
perpetrated by a gang of herdsmen that have been terrorising motorists along
the 200km highway in recent times.
The source
said the police had arrested 17 suspects so far, adding that the victims would
soon be rescued.
He said, “We
received information on Saturday that a gang of armed herdsmen ambushed the
NHIS auditor and dragged the man and his driver into a nearby bush. The
suspects then put them on some motorcycles and fled.
“Investigation
showed that about four gangs operate along that road. We have been able to
smash two of the gangs and we have arrested 17 suspects.
“A combined
team of policemen from both the Kaduna and Niger State command, soldiers and
officials of the Department of State Services as well have been deployed along
the 200km road.”
The police
had last month deployed 600 personnel on the
Abuja-Kaduna/ Zaria-Kano highways to curb the kidnappings along the
highways.
When
contacted, the acting Kaduna State police spokesman, Mustapha Mohammed,
promised to find out and get back to our correspondent, but he never did.
The FCT
police spokesman, Manzah Anjuguri, said the command had no report of the
abduction.
But the
Public Relations Officer of the NHIS, Mr. Odoh Onuh, said he had heard of the
abduction but had no extra information.
“I heard
about it but I don’t have much information,” he said.
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