Pardoned Prisoner Killed After Burning PDP Woman Leader To Death

Security personnel have shot and killed a prominent criminal named Kabir Bala who was connected to the death of Salome Abu, a woman leader for the Peoples Democratic Party.

A pardoned prisoner named Bala was murdered on June 21 at Ejule in Kogi state’s Ofu Local Government Area.

The suspect’s death was confirmed by the state’s commissioner of police, Akeem Yusuf, who made the following statement: “It would be recalled that the Kogi State Government, in October 2018, granted pardon in the prerogative of mercy as part of rehabilitation to one notorious gang leader named Kabir Bala, aka Okwo, in Ejule, Ofu LGA.

“However, the said Kabir Bala remained an unrepentant criminal with lots of atrocities traced to him which includes dealing in illegal arms, kidnappings and killings in the state.

“Several cases had been traced to him such as the burning alive of Mrs Salome Abu, a PDP woman leader in Olu LGA, in her residence on November 2015, at Ochadamu, and the killing of two gala youths, Umoru Abeh and Unerwu Sule on April 20, 2022, at Ejule.

“Bala also killed five Fulani herders including Ibrahim, Haruna and Shuaibu Wang on Alloma Road, in the Ofu LGA in April 2022, and Muhammed and Dauda on March 3, 2023.

“Other crimes committed by Kabir Bala and his gang included an attack on troops of the Nigerian Navy and dispossessing them of four rifles at the Alloma village on March 4, 2022. However, the firearms were later returned to the Navy following a high-powered intervention.

“Attack on Elisha Aya, a pastor and founder of the Kingdom Faith Assembly, Ejule, on March 18, 2022, who later paid N1m to Bala as a levy for establishing a church; invasion of Egane Fulani settlement; burning of 213 huts; rustled 122 cows on December 25, 2022, and assault on the Lord’s Chosen Church, Ejule, on January 29, 2023, for disturbing his hotel with their service, during which a worshipper, Joy Abuh, sustained a gunshot injury on her left hand.”

Yusuf also disclosed that once the state security council decided to immediately cancel Bala’s 2018 pardon, security personnel and Bala engaged in a gunfight. Security agents were instructed to find him and arrest him right away for trial with known accomplices at the meeting on June 20, 2023.

The police commissioner added: “Joint operations should be set up comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, DSS, and Civil Defence, to go after Kabir Bala and his gang to arrest them and recover the arms in their possession.

“Today, June 22, 2023, around 04.30 am in pursuit of Kabir Bala and his gang members, on sighting the joint security team, opened fire on them and started shooting sporadically.

“The team engaged the hoodlums and Kabir Bala was neutralised in the process while other members of his gang escaped with varying degrees of injury.”

One AK-47 rifle with three fully loaded magazines, six locally made weapons, two phones, and charms were among the items seized from his premises.

Yusuf added that the fight against illicit activity would continue in order to protect people and property in the state.