Notes for File
Like most things happening in Nigeria that make the heart bleeds, the people of Ibbi in Taraba State last week trooped out in the large numbers to publicly celebrate the return of an ex-convict, Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume who was released from the Kuje prison in Abuja.
Wadume was arrested in 2019, a few weeks after soldiers attacked a police team that arrested him in Ibbi, on its way back to Abuja.
The soldiers, attached to Battalion 93 of the Nigerian Army and led by Captain Tijjani Balarabe, were at a checkpoint on the Ibbi-Takum road when the police team arrived. They set Wadume free after killing some of the police officers who had arrested him on August 6, 2019.
Three police officers and two civilians were killed during the incident, while five other police officers were injured.
Wadume was rearrested in Kaduna and sentenced to seven years in prison by a Federal High Court in Abuja for escaping from lawful custody and unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms.
Unconfirmed reports alleged that the prosecution deliberately failed to prove the charges of kidnapping against him because they did not want the kingpin to implicate others, especially military officers, who were highly connected. It was further alleged that there were no proper and timely investigations to bring out evidence to prove the offence of kidnapping.
Upon his release penultimate Friday, his people trooped to the streets to give him a heroic welcome.
Not only was this action despicable and condemnable, it was also totally uncalled for. It is unfortunate that some Nigerians still celebrate questionable characters and those who are a menace to the society just because of their philanthropic activities. It means that the people value wealth so much and do not bother about why he went to prison or how the wealth is acquired.
From what was at play, it was clear that Wadume’s people were anxiously waiting for him to come back to continue to distribute his wealth, which is believed to have been acquired through questionable activities.
While some Nigerians continue to blame the government for the security challenges confronting the country, they celebrate criminals whose activities fuel insecurity.
What they do not understand is that people like Wadume and his likes need to be isolated so that they turn a new leaf and refrain from influencing more people, especially the youths, negatively.
