Disturbed by the wrongful, unlawful, and unjustifiable arrest and detention of ten innocent indigenes of Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State in Benin Republic, the Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris has sent a powerful delegation to Benin Republic to facilitate the release of the innocent youths.
The delegation, headed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Shafiu Abubakar met with the Ambassador, Federal Republic of Nigeria to Benin Republic in Benin.
According to a press release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Kebbi State Governor, Ahmed Idris, said that Dr. Idris charged the delegation to explore all avenues within the ambit of the law to rescue the affected persons alongside their capital and other property.
The leader of the delegation presented a letter to the ambassador seeking his input toward the release of the innocent Nigerians.
The letter reads in parts: “I am compelled to humbly bring to the notice of Your Excellency a troubling and worrisome situation involving ten innocent indigenes of Dandi Local Government Area, Kebbi State-Nigeria.
“Ten of them are languishing in detention somewhere in the Benin Republic.”
He said the chairman of Dandi Local Government of Kebbi State reported that on Thursday, 1st of June 2023, 10 of their people returning home from Benin Republic were arrested at Kaini Tunga village of Benin Republic by the country’s security personnel.
Abubakar lamented that the security personnel erroneously and maliciously named them “Boko Haram sect members”, adding that their monies, phones, and other items were forcefully taken away.
He said it was confirmed that they were all taken to an unknown detention facility in Cotonou – Benin Republic and all efforts to locate them proved futile.
The Special Adviser confirmed that the Chairman and community leaders insisted that the accused individuals were law-abiding citizens who were into genuine businesses to meet the needs of their families assuring that the said the allegations by those security men were just a “figment of their imaginations.”
Abubakar gave the names and ages of the arrested persons still in detention as:
Yusha’u Mohammed, 38
Surajo Likita, 25
Suleiman Usman, 25
Ibrahim Umar, 29
Nazifi Tahiru, 18
Babangida Aliu, 30
Usama Kabiru, 25
Babawo Mohammed, 35
Hamisu Dan Ashibi, 25
Ibrahim Rilwanu, 25.
He noted that given the emotional trauma members of their families and the community at large were going through, saying: “I pray His Excellency explores the appropriate legal channels to ensure that they are discovered and given the opportunity to prove their innocence.
“It will be highly appreciated if Your Excellency could use your esteemed office to find out the whereabouts of these innocent people and ensure that justice is done to them.”
Those in attendance are the Hon. Chairman Kamba Local Government and former Ambassador Dolekena.
