By Sanee Yarima
In the early hours of Sunday, March 9, 2025, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) Taraba State Command successfully rescued a woman from suspected kidnappers.
The victim, Hauwa Ali, had been kidnapped the previous night from her home in Jemi, a Fulani settlement in Bakin Dutse (Black Rock), within the Ardo Kola Local Government Area of the state.
Hauwa recounted her ordeal, explaining that the kidnappers knocked on her door around midnight, asking for her husband, whom she mistakenly informed them was in his room. Unbeknownst to her, he was not present.
When the kidnappers entered his room and found him missing, they proceeded to abduct her and took her to their hideout under a rock in Sibre, located not far from the community, where they chained her.
She noted that there were three kidnappers involved, and they had also intended to abduct her son. However, he managed to escape after being dragged with them and resisting their attempts to take him away.
While the kidnappers were trying to get in contact with her husband, but she was not with her handset, Hauwa heard gunshots in the distance. The kidnappers, alarmed by the noise, engaged in a shootout with the VGN members.
“When the rescuers arrived, they found me in a hole under the rock after a prolonged exchange of gunfire with the kidnappers. Once the kidnappers fled, the VGN operatives unchained me and rescued me,” she said.
Hauwa expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the VGN members, stating, “I lack words to express my appreciation for these people who risked their lives to rescue me. Only God can reward them, and I pray that He continues to protect them, grant them success against such criminals, and bless them abundantly.” She added.
When asked if she encountered any other victims in the kidnapper’s hideout, Hauwa replied that there was none and no food, just water, which they drank in the morning, and they offered her a cup.
Hauwa’s husband, Ali Garba, shared that he was out attending to their animals at the time of the kidnapping. Upon returning home, he was informed that his wife had been abducted.
Garba, who expressed his shock, recalled that he had been kidnapped the previous year when a ransom of four million five hundred thousand naira (N4.5 million) was paid for his release after two days in captivity.
He expressed immense gratitude to the VGN for rescuing his first wife and urged the Taraba State government to provide more support to the group to encourage their humanitarian service to society.
While fielding questions from journalists, Suleiman Aliyu, the Taraba State Auditor of the VGN, stated that Hauwa was rescued thanks to an intelligence report from their Iware Area Commander.
According to him, the VGN state Operations Commander, Munir Bello Abubakar, after informing the state Commander, acted promptly to mobilize and carry out the rescue operation without harm to the victim.
Aliyu lamented the lack of operational vehicles and other logistical support, urging Governor Agbu Kefas to assist them, stating that presently, the command has only one functional operational vehicle.
He highlighted the commendable efforts of Operations Commander Munir Bello Abubakar, praising his dedication and resourcefulness in combating kidnappers and criminal elements throughout the state.
“Honestly, our Operations Commander is doing an excellent job with his energy and resources to ensure the safety of Taraba. He deserves recognition because, without his encouragement and commitment, many of us wouldn’t be able to do this job,” Garba emphasized.
Meanwhile, an investigation by SAHEL REPORTERS revealed that several vehicles and motorcycles branded with the VGN name had been sighted at the TY Danjuma Government House in Jalingo but were subsequently nowhere to be found.
The need for Governor Agbu Kefas to provide additional vehicles, motorcycles, and operational tools to the Taraba State VGN Command is crucial, as well as for well-to-do individuals to support their efforts in assisting security operatives in the state to protect the lives and property of citizens.
