Alhaji Bello Wakili Bachaka, the immediate past chairman of Gudu Local Government Council in Sokoto State, revealed to the judicial Commission of Inquiry, established by the Governor of Sokoto State, that he sold his official vehicle to pay bandits a ransom of over N4 million for the release of his abducted wife and two children.
Bachaka, who served as the
chairman of the Gudu Local Government Area from April 2021 to April 2023,
testified before the commission's Presiding Judge, Justice Mu’azu Pindiga,
detailing the unfortunate incident that led to the sale of the monetized Toyota
Hilux vehicle.
The former chairman explained
that towards the end of his tenure, his wife and two children were kidnapped,
compelling him to sell the official vehicle to secure their release. He
emphasized that the monetized vehicle was sold for N4.2 million, deducted from
his total gratuity and severance allowances, which amounted to over N5 million.
"I sold the vehicle that
was monetized to me at the cost of N4.2 million, which was deducted from my
over N5 million total gratuity and severance allowances. I had no option but to
dispose of the monetized Toyota Hilux vehicle to pay the ransom to the
bandits," Bachaka stated.
He went on to explain the negotiation
process with the kidnappers and how he delivered the ransom to them in a
village in Wurno Local Government Area. Following the payment, the bandits released
his family members safely.
However, Bachaka appealed to
the Sokoto State Government to consider their present predicament, emphasizing
that he and his colleagues were yet to receive their remaining gratuities
despite the deductions made for the vehicle payments.
"We were not given a
single kobo in the name of our retirement benefit despite serving for two years
as local government chairmen. The former administration had deducted huge
amounts from our furniture and gratuities allowance to pay for the Hilux Toyota
vehicles, and they have not given us any documents to prove the payments,"
he lamented.
Bachaka urged the current state
government to settle their remaining balances to support them in providing for
their families.
Post a Comment