Abductors of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, have contacted his family several hours after kidnapping him, according to a Daily Trust report this morning quoting unnamed “credible sources”.

The Magajin Gari, a senior traditional title holder in Daura Emirate Council in Katsina State and District Head of Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s hometown, was abducted in front of his house in the ancient of Daura shortly after Maghrib prayers on Wednesday.

“The abductors of the Magajin Gari, who switched off his handsets after taking him away, linked him up with his family and they had a brief conversation,” one of the sources close to the family of the traditional ruler was quoted as saying. “The Magajin Gari confirmed to his family that he was actually in captivity and urged them to pray for his release. But before he could say much, the kidnappers seized the phone and switched it off,” he said.

Asked whether they demanded for ransom, the source said, “Not to my knowledge for now; maybe they did, but what is clear is that they have established contact.”

Another credible source said the Magajin Gari spoke with one of his wives, probably to convince the family that he was alive.

“They dialled the number of his wife using his phone and they spoke. He confirmed that it was abduction,” he said. The source also said the kidnappers had demanded for ransom, but Daily Trust could not independently verify the claim.

A security source said the kidnappers would have been intercepted but for the fact that they deployed different methods to evade arrest. “The first thing they did after they took off from his house was to switch off his phones, to avoid being tracked using GPRS. They also followed an unexpected route in order to divert attention.

“They know that the police and other security agencies must have sent signals to different formations and checkpoints with perfect description of the vehicle used in forcefully taking the traditional ruler away. Even then, as you must have heard the abductors had close shave with the police.

“Initially we thought they hid him along the Nigerian border with Niger Republic, but intelligence shows otherwise,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police is reportedly closing in on the kidnappers.

“Police in Katsina State said the suspects in connection with the abduction of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Uba, who was abducted at his residence, have been arrested,” Special Assistant to the President on Social Media Lauretta Onochie said while breaking the news on her twitter handle yesterday.

The kidnappers stormed Umar’s Daura residence at 7 pm on Wednesday, shooting sporadically into the air. There was pandemonium.

Umar had just returned from the mosque where he took part in the evening prayer when the incident happened.

Umar, who is said to be the father-in-law of President Buhari’s ADC was sitting in front of his home with some people when the gunmen came.

A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria that the kidnappers came in a Peugeot 406 saloon car.

After the gunmen left, Daura Council Chairman Mallam Abba Mato, and hundreds of sympathisers came to Umar’s residence to discuss the bewildering incident.

The suspects were seized after members of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) special operation codenamed “Puff Arder” engaged the gangster in a shootout.

There has been no word on the whereabouts of the district head.

Police Public Relations Officer of the Katsina State Command Gambo Isah, a Superintendent, in a statement, said the bandits, numbering about six, who stormed the Magajin Garin Daura home, took him to an unknown destination.

Isah stated that the abductors, however, ran out of luck, when the Commissioner of Police Sanusi Buba, with police patrol teams from Kusada Division intercepted the fleeing hoodlums and engaged them in a gun battle.

One Inspector Muntari Maikudi attached to Kusada Division sustained a gunshot injury and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina for treatment.

“IGP Tactical Squad, SARS teams, Police Mobile Force and Counter-terrorism units have already been dispatched to rescue the victim alive and safely to his family. The command enjoins members of the public to always assist the security agencies with timely and actionable intelligence on the activities of these bandits.

“Be rest assured that the command and indeed other security agencies are on their toes to bring to an end the activities of these bandits.”

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