Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Bala Mohammed, has written to President Bola Tinubu over a security report on a banditry suspect recently arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a letter to President Tinubu dated September 19, 2024, with reference no: GO/SS/SIR/S/119/T, Governor Mohammed said that Abubakar Idris and Zainab Aliyu Gado were listed as pilgrims going for Hajj from Bauchi State.
He revealed that the DSS had requested the travelling documents of Idris and Gado, but that while that of the former was available, the latter was not as it had been released and she had traveled to Hajj by then.
The Governor said Idris was arrested by the DSS and is being detained by the service, disclosing that records showed that Idris and Gado were nominated to the Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board by a legislative aide to a serving Senator in the State and demanded the investigation of the link since Idris was arrested in relation to alleged banditry.
The letter to Tinubu reads in part: “Report received from the Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Board was that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Bauchi State Command, visited the Board during the 2024 pilgrims operations and demanded the e-passport of Abubakar Idris and one Zainab Aliyu Gado who were both registered as intended pilgrims with the board.
“Unfortunately, the e-passport of the said Zainab Aliyu had already been released and she had traveled out on Hajj, while that of Abubakar Idris was released to the service. He was subsequently detained by the DSS. Abubakar Idris was suspected of banditry and kidnapping activities in Zamfara State and as far as we know he is still with the DSS.
“Your Excellency, the reports available to the Board showed that the pilgrims were among others through one Yahaya Ibrahim, legislative aide to Senator Shehu Umar, the senator representing Bauch South Senatorial District.”
Gov Mohammed said this calls “for a thorough investigation and arrest and prosecution of all those found to be involved,” saying he considered “it very imperative to brief Mr. President on the development due to security implications involved.”
