WADUME SCALDAL! The re-arrest of Taraba-based Hamisu Bala Wadume, a suspected notorious kidnapper, by the police last week came as a welcome relief to the nation, but his confessions have held Nigeria spellbound. His graphic account of how the military killed three policemen and two civilians, and wounded five other police officers, in order to set him free has unsettled Nigerians. It is difficult to believe that military personnel, who should prevent crime, would rather waste the lives of highly-trained police officers in order to rescue a suspected serial kidnapper, gun runner and fugitive. Part of his confession reads: “The police came to arrest me. When they arrested me, the army chased after them and opened fire. From there, they (soldiers) took me to their headquarters and cut off my handcuffs and released me. I went back to my house, but the police came to re-arrest me.” Wadume, in this statement, referred to troops attached to 93 Battalion, Takum, who aided his escape on Aug...
STILL ON MASSACRE AT METELE By A. A. Gadzama The massacre of over one hundred soldiers of the 175 Task Force Batalion at Metele last week by the Boko Haram and their affiliates, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWP) should invoke in us as a Nation the highest sense of solidarity with the very gallant soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice. The incident, although coming after many lesser ones in the last three months, demands we stand in solidarity with the President and the gallant soldiers battling the insurgents in the North East. Beyond this is the importance of the government and the national security establishment re-strategizing to forestal a recurrence. This is because recent happenings in the North East point to an ominous and serious setback that could result in avoidable reversal of the gains made by the President Muhammadu Buhari Government since it came to power in 2015. To those of us directly affected, we remain grateful to the President, Commander in Chief f...