By Our Correspondent
The immediate past chairman of Gudu Local Government Council Sokoto State, Alhaji Bello Wakili Bachaka says he sold out his official vehicle to pay over N4 million ransom to Bandits for the released his beloved wife and two children.
Hon. Bachaka served as Gudu local government council chairman from April 2021 to April 2023 told the state Judicial commission of Inquiry on Monetization of official vehicles that, towards the end of his tenure his wife and two of his children were kidnapped by bandits and demanded the some of over N4 million.
According to him, it was the situation warranted him to sold the monetised Toyota hilux and paid ransom to bandits to secure the release of his family.
The former chairman was testifying before the State Judicial Commission of Enquiry into the activities of the immediate past administration in the state from (2015 to 2023), on memo number four concerning the 23 LGAs vehicles monetisation policy.
The witness testified on Monday before the commission’s Presiding Judge, Justice Mu’azu Pindiga also maintain that he sold the vehicle and paid over N4 million to the bandit before they released the three of his families to him.
He revealed that the vehicle was monetised to him at the cost of over N4 million and the amount was said to have been deducted from his N5 million total gratuity and other allowances benefit .
He said: “I had no option than to disposed the monetized the Toyota hilux vehicle to pay ransom to Kidnappers”.
He explained that, after bargained with the kidnappers, the then chairman took the said amount to the bandit in one of the villages, in Wurno Local Government Area of the state were he paid the money to the bandit after which they set them freed.
Bachaka pleaded with the Sokoto State government to consider their present predicament, saying presently he cannot afford to buy or refund the vehicle money as their gratuities and other allowances were not being paid.
Said he: “I was invited to give what i know about the Toyota vehicle which was auctioned to me by the former administration of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
“The vehicles were auctioned to us with agreement that the state government will pay vehicles money from our benefits emoluments gratuities and furniture allowances benefits to settle the payments of the vehicles”,
While lamenting on how they were not settled their remaining gratuities balance after the payment of the vehicles as agreed upon in the memorandum of understanding, unfortunately our remaining retirement allowances balance was not paid till this moment.
“Government should consider our present predicament as our balance of surverrance gratuity is still being held and not being paid”.
“We were not given a single kobo in the name of our retirement benefit despite that we served for two years as local government chairmen”.
The former administration had deducted a huge amount from our furniture and gratuities allowance to pay the Hilux Toyota vehicles and they have not gave us any documents to prove the payments of the vehicles .
We prayed and hope the present state government would give us our remaining balance to continue to cater for our families.