The Nation Newspaper

Tag: missing General

  • Army finds body of missing General

    It  was a grim discovery for the army. The body of a senior officer, a General, found in a shallow well in a remote village in Plateau State.

    Gen. Idris Alkali (retd.) had been  declared missing since September 3.

    The intensive search for him ended yesterday in a shallow well in Guchwet village,  Shen District, Jos South Local Government Area.

    The late Gen. Alkali was the immediate past Chief of Administration of the Army.

    One of the suspects who relocated the body from the shallow grave where it was initially buried took the military search team to the well, the army said.

    Commander of the Search and Rescue Operations Brig.-Gen. Umar Muhammed said: “One of the suspects who helped the criminals in the relocation of the body of Gen. Alkali after voluntarily submitted himselfafter he was declared wanted, led the Joint Team of Army and Police to the well on Tuesday.

    Gen Muhammed, who is the Garrison Commander, 3 Division Rukuba Barracks, Jos, added:  ”You know General Idris Alkali was declared missing on the 3rd of September, 2018. The Nigerian Army gave us three tasks, one was for us to find General Alkali dead of alive, two, to find his vehicle which was a Toyota Corolla, and number three, if anything happened to him, to find those who are responsible for anything that happened to him so that they can be prosecuted.

    “On 29 September, 2019 we recovered his vehicle and his personal effects were seen, A shallow grave was discovered in which General Alkali was initially buried.

    ”Some people were declared wanted; some have submitted themselves voluntarily and some people who took part in the relocation brought us to where he was finally buried.

    ”We came in this morning (yesterday), we drained the water in the well and we were able to salvage the body, which is the remains of Gen. Alkali. This means the first two aspects of the tasks have been accomplished.

    ”The third phase of our assignment is the prosecution of all those who took part in this heinous act. Let me tell you that nobody, no matter how connected the person is, whoever is involved in this heinous act will not go unpunished.

    ”For those who did not submit themselves after being declared missing, let me tell them that we are on their trail,” Gen. Muhammed said.

    The body of Gen Alkali was wrapped in a body bag. A military parade was carried out at the site before it was taken away in a military ambulance.

    Residents of Gushwet  and surrounding villages, such as Shen, Nomansland, Dura, Lopandyet, Doi, etc, have fled their homes for fear that the army may descend on them.

  • Missing General: District Head declared wanted turns in self to Police

    Mr Yakubu Rap, the District of Dura, in Jos South Local Government, who was declared wanted by the Plateau Police command in connection with the disappearance of Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd), has appeared at the Police command.

    Mr Terna Tyopev, the command’s spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Jos.

    “The District Head turned himself in and is currently being quizzed,” Tyopev said in the statement.

    He said that the development had indicated that the decision to declare some people wanted over the matter was yielding results.

    According to him, Rap reported at the command headquarters on Friday morning and is undergoing interrogation.

    The Police Command had declared Rap and seven others wanted on Thursday, after claiming that they masterminded the abduction of the army officer.

    Alkali was declared missing on Sept. 3, after he left Abuja to Bauchi.

    After a thorough search, the army recovered his vehicle and personal effects in a pond at Dura-Du community of Jos South local government, three weeks ago. (NAN)

  • Missing General: Police declare District Head, seven others wanted

    The Plateau State Police Command has declared wanted the District Head of Dura, in Jos South Local Government Area, Mr Yakubu Rap, and seven others in connection with the disappearance of Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (retd).

    In a statement yesterday in Jos, the state capital, by its spokesman, Mr Terna Tyopev, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), the police alleged that preliminary investigation into the matter indicated that the wanted persons masterminded the abduction of the Army officer.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Alkali was declared missing on September 3, on his way from Abuja, the nation’s capital, to Bauchi State.

    After a thorough search, the Army recovered his vehicle and personal effects in a pond at Dura-Du community of Jos South Local Government Area, three weeks ago.

    That discovery sent fear-stricken residents of the area scampering for safety amidst fears that security agents may invade the community.

    Tyopev said preliminary investigation into Alkali’s disappearance raised questions that the suspects were required to answer.

    Other suspects included a businessman, Pam Dung, 53; Chuwang Stephen, 46; Timothy Chuan, 26; Moses Gyang, 25; Chuwang Samuel, 28; Mathew Wrang, 27 and Nyam Samuel, 25.

    Tyopev urged the public with useful information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects to report to the nearest police station.

    The police gave the descriptions of the suspects.

    According to the command, Da Chuwang Samuel (aka Morinho) is dark, tall and has no tribal mark on his face. He is a panel beater and Berom. He speaks Berom, Hausa and English fluently.

    It added: “Nyam Samuel (aka Soft Touch) is tall, dark and has no tribal marks on his face. He is a panel beater and Berom. He speaks Hausa, Berom and English fluently.

    “Mathew Wrang (aka Amesco) is tall and dark with no tribal marks on his face. He has Adams apple and is married. He is Berom and speaks Hausa, Berom and English fluently.

    “Pam Gyang Dung (aka Boss) has an upper gap tooth. He is dark and tall with no marks on his face. He has a bald head and he is a farmer and miner. He is Berom and speaks Hausa, Berom and English fluently.

    “Chuwang Istifanus Pwajok Stephen (aka Tifa) is tall, light and has a moustache, without a tribal mark on his face. He is a surveyor and businessman. He is Berom by tribe and speaks Hausa, Berom and English fluently.

    “Timothy Chuan is tall, light in complexion and has no tribal marks on his face. He is a married tipper driver as well as sand vendor. He is Berom and speaks Hausa, Berom and English fluently.

    “Moses Gyang (aka Boss) is tall, light in complexion, keeps afro hair and has no tribal marks on his face. He is a married Berom man who speaks Hausa, Berom and English fluently.”

    “Yakubu Rap, the District Head of Dura, is married and has children. He is a Berom and speaks Hausa, Berom and English fluently.”

    The police urged the public to contact the nearest police station or call the following phone numbers – 08038907662 or 07059473022, 09053872296 and 08075391844, for information on any of the suspects.

     

     

  • Missing General: Army hands 13 suspects to police

    The Army yesterday presented 13 suspects arrested in connection with missing Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (retd) to reporters in Jos.

    Brig.-Gen. Umar Muhammed, Garrison Commander, 3 Division, Nigeria Army, Rukuba, near Jos, told reporters that the suspects would be handed over to the police for full investigation.

    Muhammed said the people were arrested in the area where the general’s missing car was found.

    Alkali, the immediate past Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, was declared missing on Sept. 3.

    He was said to have gone missing on his way to Bauchi, where he left Abuja to in the morning of that day.

    Consequently, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, set up a search operation for the missing general.

    The army authorities said that after a thorough investigation, they narrowed the search to a mining pond in Dura-Du in Jos South Local Government of Plateau.

    After two weeks of draining water from pond, Alkali’s car and two others were recovered from the pond.

    Muhammed stated that a “cordon and search’’ operation was conducted in the community and some people were apprehended.

    He said “They were moved to the barracks where they were screened, profiled and interrogated.

    “These suspects will be handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and prosecution.

    “The persons to be handed over to police include those who were in possession of fire arms without license.

    “Those who heard and saw the criminals that stopped the retired senior officer and those that pushed his vehicle into the pond but failed to report these criminal acts to the security agencies will also be handed over.”

  • Search for Missing General: Army promises to respect human rights

    The Nigerian Army has pledged to respect human rights in the search of missing retired Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali in Jos.

    Alkali, the immediate past Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, was declared missing on Sept. 3.

    He was said to have gone missing on his way to Bauchi after leaving Abuja in the morning.

    Consequently, the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, set up an operation to search for the missing officer.

    The army said that after a thorough search and investigation, they stumbled on some intelligence that made it necessary to search a mining pond at Dura-du, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau.

    The operation being jointly conducted by Operation Safe Haven and 3 Division Nigeria Army, Rukuba, recovered four vehicles from the pond, including the one Alkali was driving before his disappearance.

    The situation led to fears, anxiety and apprehension that army would carry out a military action in the area as it continues its search for the general or his remains.

    According to reports, members of the community fled their homes for fear of being attacked by security operatives.

    But the army in a statement by Col. Kayode Ogunsanya, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, assured it would conduct its operations with international best practices and respect for fundamental human rights.

    “The troops involved in the search and rescue operation only apprehended those who have information about the missing retired senior officer based on credible intelligence.

    “Consequently, the good and peace loving people of Jos South, especially Dura-Du District, are enjoined not to desert their homes and business premises and urged them to go about their legitimate businesses,’’ he said.

    Ogunsanya said that doing so would prevent hoodlums from breaking into the abandoned homes and business premises.

    He also called on anyone with credible information about the whereabouts of the missing retired senior officer to please contact “this Headquarters on GSM No. 09074028881’’.

    He added that a handsome reward awaits a credible informant and the source of information shall be protected.

    The army spokesperson further called on everyone within the area of responsibility to remain vigilant and report any suspected breach of peace to security agencies.

     

  • Army to drain mining pond in search of missing General

    THE Army has vowed to completely drain a particular mining pond in Du District of Jos Local Government Area of Plateau State, where it said it believed missing Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (retd) was pushed into.

    Maj.-Gen Augustine Agundu, the Commander of Operation Safe Haven, stated this yesterday while giving update on the whereabouts of Alkali, a former Chief of Administration of the Army, declared missing since Sept. 3.

    The senior officer retired from service on June 7 after 35 years.

    Agundu, who spoke at the conclusion of the 2nd and 3rd combined Chief of Army Staff Conference in Abuja, explained that intelligence and investigation by the army indicated that the missing general was pushed into the pond.

    He further explained that on Sept. 2 gunmen stormed a village in the district and killed 11 innocent people and wounded several others.

    Agundu said the youth of the district reacted to the killing the following day – Sept. 3, with protest by barricading the road and attacking motorists and other innocent citizens.

    He said it was believed Alkali was a victim of the protest.

    “Our deduction, therefore, is that Maj.-Gen. I. M. Alkali could have run into the protesting youth on Sept. 3 in Du District as recorded by his cell phone.

    “Various eyewitnesses have attested to the fact that they saw a black car that was pushed into a mining pond,” he said.

    The operation safe Haven commander said there were about 20 ponds in the district, but that the army zeroed in on the particular one, where the missing senior officer was believed to have been pushed into.

    Agundu said that the wife of the officer, Mrs. Salamatu Alkali, drew the attention of the Army authorities to a suspected case of the missing senior officer on Sept. 5.

    He said the wife stated that the retired officer left his home in Abuja for Bauchi on Sept. 3.

    “That the senior officer traveled without his driver and orderly but drove himself in a black Toyota Corrolla,” Agundu further quoted the wife as saying.

    He said since the army attention was drawn to the incident, it had been making efforts to locate Alkali.

    The commander urged Nigerians to ignore the campaign by one Idris Ahmed, residing abroad that the army was complicit in Alkali’s disappearance and unconcerned about his missing.