• 1 killed, police division, 15 vehicles razed in Zaria tanker fire
Former minister of state (Foreign Affairs), Mr Bagudu Hirse, has been kidnapped.
His brother, Chief John Hirse confirmed his abduction, yesterday.
“I got home from church to read a message informing me of the kidnap of my brother, Bagudu, on my mobile phone,” Hirse, former federal permanent secretary and current District Head of Mangu, in Plateau State, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos.
John said he was expecting further details “on the sad incident.
“You have to exercise patience and call back later for more information and further developments,” he said on Sunday evening.
But sources indicated that Bagudu was kidnapped somewhere in Kaduna, at the weekend.
Another source said the incident happened around 11:00am, yesterday.
The kidnappers were said to have forcefully whisked away the former envoy, who put up some resistance.
“After overpowering him, they removed his cap and threw it on the floor before zooming off,” the source said.
Yet another version said the former minister was kidnapped in front of the Kaduna residence of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura. It was said that the president’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, was reportedly at Daura’s residence at the time of the unfortunate incident, but there was no indication that he was the target.
Spokesman of Kaduna Police Command, Aliyu Usman, confirmed the incident but said it did not happen in front of Daura’s house.
“It happened on the street where Daura lives,” and added that policemen were on the trail of the abductors.
Hirse was said to be returning from a condolence visit to the family of late sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki. Dasuki died in Abuja, last Monday and was buried the next day.
A former director of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Hirse served in the administration of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Meanwhile, police has confirmed the death of one person, with many injured in a tanker fire incident in Zaria, which also razed a police station and 15 vehicles.
The incident occurred on Saturday night, at Danmagaji area of Zaria in Kaduna State. The tanker driver reportedly lost control in an attempt to avoid a pothole. In the process, he was said to have crushed to death, a motorcyclist and the ensuing fire razed the police station and vehicles.
Commissioner of Police, Mr Agyole Abeh confirmed the figure to newsmen after visiting the scene, yesterday.
“The incident was quite unfortunate but, we have to give glory to God because the level of lives involved is what we should appreciate God for. The inferno would have consumed a lot of lives, most especially as Danmagaji which has heavy traffic, and this police station is a place where there was always people. We would have been telling a different story.
“However, everything in the station was completely burnt down.
“As you saw the structure, nothing was left, apart from the wall,” he said.
The police commissioner solicited for the intervention of the state government, traditional and community leaders in rebuilding the police station.
“The state government had never let the police down, it has been given resounding assistance to the force and I believe it will find an immediate solution to the problem.”
According to the realations of the decease, Ibrahim Mustafa, the decease named malam Abubakar Mohamed was said to have lost his lifes while trying to escaped from tanker that run into police station while trying to dodged a pot hole on the main road,
“ It was a sad event, Abubakar could escaped as his body was burnt beyong recognition by fire’’ he said.