A large crowd on Sunday, turned out to welcome “kidnap kingpin”, Hamisu Bala, better known as Wadume, to his hometown in Ibbi Taraba State.
According to sources, Wadume, who was arrested by men of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police, in 2019, was released from Kuje Prison in Abuja, on Friday.
He was said to have concluded his jail sentence which ran concurrently.
According to a report by DailyTrust, he was received by thousands of people, including youths and women when he arrived home.
A resident of Ibbi town who spoke with newsmen, Musa Garba, said the town was at a standstill for Wadume.
Garba said the elderly and youths trooped out to receive Wadume who was said to have entered the town through river Benue.
He said the people received Wadume by the riverside and from there he went through the town before retiring to his house.
Another resident simply identified as Nuhu said, “We are in a festive mood as Wadume regained his freedom and now out of prison and now with us in his home town Ibbi.”
Meanwhile, Wadumi has visited the Chief of Ibbi chiefdom, Alhaji Salihu Danbawuro, at his palace.
Wadume told the chief that he was at the palace to thank the chief and the entire people of his chiefdom.
He said throughout his trial, the chief and his subjects stood firmly with him and prayed for his safety and good health while in prison.
The chief, Saliha Danbawuro, told Wadume that he and his subjects were happy that he was out of prison.
“I and the entire people of Ibbi chiefdom are happy that Hamisu Wadume is now back in Ibbi his home town.” the chief said.
It would be recalled that in 2019 when the IRT attempted to arrest him over alleged kidnapping, he had enlisted the help of a Captain of the Nigerian Army, who aided his escape from Police custody when the vehicle of the IRT was stopped at a military checkpoint by gunfire and labelled as kidnappers instead, who had attempted at kidnapping Wadume.
Residents of Ibbi town consequently pounced on the Policemen for daring to kidnap their benefactor, killing about three of the elite Policemen and injuring others, a development that attracted national attention to the ugly incident.
Wadume went into hiding thereafter for days before another IRT team led by the now suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, smoked him out from his hideout in Kano metropolis of Kano State.
