12 weeks in captivity: Family of Bauchi APC chieftain, Uba Boris, worried

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), popular in youth and women mobilization in Bauchi, Alhaji Uba Boris, was abducted by unknown gunmen on July 7, 2021 in Bauchi metropolis, and nothing has been heard about him from his abductors since then. Investigation indicates that Uba Boris was attacked and abducted at the CBN Roundabout […]

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), popular in youth and women mobilization in Bauchi, Alhaji Uba Boris, was abducted by unknown gunmen on July 7, 2021 in Bauchi metropolis, and nothing has been heard about him from his abductors since then.

Investigation indicates that Uba Boris was attacked and abducted at the CBN Roundabout beside AA Rano filling station along the Federal Low-cost Road at about 8pm.

The kidnappers were said to have trailed him on two power bikes and stopped his car after firing rounds of gunshots to disperse people.

Eye witness account revealed that Boris was seized by the kidnappers from his car and bundled into a waiting car, as his abductors fired shots into the air so that people would not trail them.

Another account said that Boris was at a car dealer’s stand with his friends for the evening Muslims prayer when the gunmen stormed and attacked, shooting sporadically before they seized and bundled him inside a waiting car.

 

Speculations are rife over his abduction with many alleging that some bigwig politicians were behind his abduction. Boris was alleged to have been fronting for one or two governorship aspirants nursing ambition to become the next governor of Bauchi State.

Uba Boris was one-time Senior Special Adviser (SSA) on Youth Mobilization during the former Governor Isa Yuguda-led administration and also served as the Director of Yuguda Vocational Centre where thousands of youths and women were trained on various skills acquisitions, a situation that made him famous among youths and women in Bauchi.

His wife, Sa’adatu Uba Boris, told Daily Trust that the family is currently living in fear and suspense over the motive of his abduction and those behind it, as well as their economic situation which is gradually deteriorating.

Sa’adatu said, “Today (Wednesday) is exactly 12 weeks since my husband was abducted and up till today, there’s been no report of his whereabouts. All his phone numbers are switched off. We’ve made all efforts to find him but it is not successful. We visited the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police and he told us that the police are still investigating the case and that whenever they have information about him, the command will contact us.”

Sa’adatu disclosed that there was an incident two weeks before his abduction when a women leader invited him to a meeting with women at 1,000 Housing Estate. “Before his abduction, a woman assembled some women and insisted that he should come and meet them but he initially declined because political activities had not commenced. He asked the woman to bring them to his office but she insisted that he should come to the house along 1000 Housing Estate, and he later agreed to follow her.

“On his way to the house, they were attacked by people in two tinted vehicles and he narrowly escaped. He reported the incident to the State CID. He never suspected the woman of staging the attack or any setup against him then. We also did not think of the incident as serious because we thought it was political opponents trying to intimidate him, but two weeks after, he was kidnapped.”

Sa’adatu explained that his absence has plunged the entire family – relatives and his supporters, into misery and difficult situations, especially the fear and mourning over his whereabouts. “We are living in this house in palpable fear and distress because he has 17 children and three wives waiting for him in uncertainty. We sleep with one eye open because whenever a stranger knocks on our door, apprehension sets in.

“When we hear the sound of a vehicle close to the house, we turn our attention to the gate in anticipation of him. We are in a serious state of confusion. From the day he got missing, we have not heard anything about him or report of who is behind his abduction. We have resigned to fervent prayers for God’s intervention on his whereabouts and for him to come back to his family,” she said.

“We are appealing to the authorities at all levels, and particularly the Bauchi State government, security operatives and well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid and help us find him because we are becoming more vulnerable with no one coming to our rescue yet.”

His 16-year-old daughter, Akila Uba Boris, said the absence of her father has destabilized the family. “We miss the wonderful moments from a caring father who regularly monitors and ensures the wellbeing of each and every child in the house. The pain of missing him has started manifesting because many of us no longer go to school because there’s no one to pay our school fees. We are appealing to security agents to do their best to rescue him from his abductors.”

His eldest son, Abdulwahab Uba Boris, said the family is in a difficult situation occasioned by fear because there’s no one to play his role of shouldering the responsibilities of the family, especially the provision of food and other basic necessities. “Our father is the one paying the school fees of 15 children in the house. Schools resumed recently and there’s no one to pay the school fees.”

Abdulwahab alleged that his political associates have not bothered to visit the family or rendered any assistance to alleviate the suffering, except one man who visits them regurlary to know how they are faring.

The Bauchi State Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Uba Ahmed Nana, explained that the party had made efforts at the initial stage of the matter and is still working to know his whereabouts. “In the first place, the issue of handling kidnapping is under the control of the police. We waited and allowed the police to do their work. Later, we heard that he was arrested by security agents but we don’t from where or which security agents arrested him.

Responding on the allegation of neglecting the family by the party and other associates, Nana said the party did not neglect the family or the case because, “Just an hour ago, party officials held a meeting with the family members of Uba Boris to discuss about his whereabouts and continue the search for who abducted him and reasons behind his abduction. The APC is doing everything humanly possible to bring him back to his family.”

The Bauchi Police Command declined to comments on the case as the Police Public Relations Officer SP Ahmed Wakil declined to pick several calls or respond to the text message sent to him at the time of filling this report.