Police warn Borno residents against accepting food, drinks from strangers

The Borno State Police Commissioner, Samaila Aminchi Baraya yesterday warned residents of the state against accepting food and drinks from strangers.

Baraya said the police have discovered that terrorists and kidnappers poison food and drinks which they use to stupefy their victims before kidnapping or robbing them at various locations in the state.

In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Isuku Victor, Baraya said
three people, including two women, had fallen victims to the criminals.

The statement reads in part: “On May 21, 2016, a woman boarded a taxi in London Chiki area of Maiduguri to keep an appointment in the
hospital. In the vehicle were two males and a female passenger. Soon after, she was stupefied.

“When she regained consciousness later in the night, she found herself in Kano with different cloths on and a suicide vest strapped to her
body. Fortunately, the vehicle developed a mechanical fault. So, when the kidnappers were busy repairing it, she quietly removed the suicide
vest from her body and escaped.

“Eventually, she was found by a Good Samaritan, who took her to a police station. The woman has now been reunited with her family in
Maiduguri.”

Baraya also disclosed that a pregnant
woman in Gwange ward of Maiduguri was also kidnapped on May 28, 2016, through the same method and dumped in a bush in Plateau state.

“After drinking the laced sachet water from the taxi she boarded, she became unconscious. On regaining consciousness, she found herself
in a bush in Plateau state.”

The police chief added that the pregnant woman was reunited with her family in Maiduguri through the assistance of a kind Nigerian.