A former Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Sani Toro; a former Assistant Coach of the Nigeria Super Eagles, Garba Yila; and one of their musketeers, Alhaji Isa Jah, have been kidnapped by riflemen.
Our pressman
gathered that they were abducted around a townlet in Nasarawa State.
They were said to have been on their way back to Bauchi from Abuja where they attended the marriage of the son of a former NFF President, Aminu Maigari, on Saturday.
They were said to have left Abuja around 5 pm and were abducted around7.30 pm.
A family source, who verified the incident to PUNCH Metro in a telephone interview on Sunday, said the kidnappers had demanded N150m as rescue.
The source said the gorillas spoke to their host, Maigari.
“ Yes, it's true that he( Isa Toro) was driving with two of his musketeers when they were abducted history( Saturday). The kidnappers are demanding a rescue of N50m for each of them, ” the source said.
A family friend and neighbour of Toro, Mallam Ardo Hazzad, also verified the incident to our pressman
.
He said, “ One of them, the former Super Eagles Assistant Coach, Garba Yila, isn't in a good condition, health wise.
“ It's unfortunate and pathetic for the incident to have happed after they went for the marriage of one of our musketeers. And if I was apprehensive of the marriage, I would have been with them because I would have travelled with them to the marriage in Abuja. ”
The Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakili, who verified the hijacking , said he couldn't give details of the incident as it happed outside his state.
Wakil, a supervisor of Police, said, “ Yes, the news is true. I got across to one of his sons who told me he was abducted around Akwanga road in Nasarawa while returning from Abuja. ”
A former Deputy National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Umar Sai ’ du, described the incident as sad and disturbing, saying it would shoot fear to sports directors, as well as the huntsmen and women.
Sa’idu, who's the current president of the Nigeria Union of intelligencers in Bauchi State, said the rising instability in the country was worrisome.
He said, “ Consider the 20 premier league clubs we've in the country; how numerous of them can go to travel by air? Some of them used to travel throughout the night and that means they aren't safe. It'll shoot a wrong signal to our sports sector that nothing is safe, especially the sports directors.
“ It'll discourage huntsmen and women because they will refuse travelling to some corridor of the country because of the fear of being abducted or killed. ”
The Special Adviser to the Bauchi State Governor on Security,Brig.Gen. Marcus Yake( retd), described the incident as sad and unfortunate.
He said, “ I do n’t suppose that they were really targeted because of who they are. I suppose it was just arbitrary hijacking . I was tête-à-tête not happy that they followed that road because it's a dangerous road and it was at night. There are a lot of backwoods and they're known for felonious conditioning.
“ There have been hijackings , banditry and felonious conditioning especially at night because indeed people who travel through that road in the day aren't completely safe, let alone at night. ”
hijacking is on the rise in the country, with ministers and traditional autocrats also falling victims.
Among recent victims are the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Samuel Kanu- Uche; the Anglican Bishop of Jebba Diocese, Kwara State, Rt.Rev. Oluwaseun Aderogba; and a Plateau State traditional sovereign , Ugoh Ababs, among others.
Experts have advised increased community policing and use of technological tools as accessible in advanced countries in addressing the problem.