Terrorist Leader Kachalla Yellow Holds Onto Kidnapped Christians, Threatens More Kidnappings
‘Government is giving us cover and support:’ Kidnapper Kachalla Yellow
By Mike Odeh James
(Kaduna) For four hellish months they have been squatting on dry grass beneath forest canopy, braving rape, mosquitos, scorpions, poisonous snakes, diarrhea, malaria and whippings, but they can go back to their families tomorrow for as little as $27 billion. So says the forest-mafia kingpin who dragged them from their comfortable suburban houses south of Kaduna City in the early hours of Feb. 28
The 17 Christians kidnapped from Gonin Gora by radicalized Fulani terrorists that night are chained together in forests along the border between Niger State and Kaduna State, TruthNigeria has learned.
Terrorists’ Staggering Demand
In a shocking development since the last report from a released hostage on March 10, the terrorists made a staggering demand of N40 trillion naira (approximately US$27 billion) in ransom, alongside other requests, before their victims would be released.
Since then, nothing has been heard about the victims or the kidnappers for more than four months until an investigation by TruthNigeria uncovered their recent plight.
Kachalla Yellow, a lieutenant of the late terrorist kingpin Dogo Gide, told Rev. David Ayuba Azzaman that the 17 victims are still with him and that he would hold onto them till the ransom is paid, Azzaman said to TruthNigeria.
On further query, Azzaman, pastor of Kings Worship Centre Kaduna, said some of the victims are held in the bush between Kaduna and Niger states, according to what Yellow told him.
“Kachalla Yellow threatened some of my church members that they either pay the sum of 50 million Nigerian Naira ($33, 546) or risk being kidnapped themselves. He threatened them over the phone,” Azzaman said.
“I got his phone number and called him directly. In the course of our discussion, he told me that he was the one who kidnapped 17 people from Gonin Gora town on February 28, and that he intends to hold on to them till their ransom is paid,” Azzaman said.
‘Some government officials are aiding us’
Rev. Azzaman further engaged the terrorist kingpin, who boasted about having government officials’ support.
“When I threatened to report him to the security agencies, Yellow boasted that I could go ahead and that nothing would happen to him as many government officials are giving them (kidnappers) cover and support.”
According to him, when he further engaged him in a war of words, Yellow said that he could kidnap Azzaman himself, if it came to that.
The Christian cleric denounced both security agencies and the Federal Government for not doing enough to rein in the activities of Fulani kidnappers. Kachalla, who has been communicating with the families of those he kidnapped and demanding ransom, could easily be tracked via his phone number, but the government and security agencies are not doing that, according to the controversial cleric.
“I spoke to Kachalla a week ago, and he also called me to demand that he be allowed to speak to the families of those he kidnapped, yet the security agencies and the government cannot arrest him or track his cell phone.”
Fulani Ethnic Militia Imposed Rent and Taxes on Farmers in Chikun
Kachalla Yellow is also the criminal boss who is demanding “rent” from farmers in Juji, a small farming community. Yellow charges them 20–50 million Nigerian naira before they would be allowed to till their farms, according to Rev. Azzaman.
“As you know, the farming season has commenced, and Yellow used the opportunity to tell farmers in Juji to pay taxes before they could cultivate their farms.”
He charged a man in Juji the sum of N50 million and asked another lady to pay N20 million, all in dollars. He also warned them that if they did not pay the rent, they would be kidnapped.
Why has the government intervened to rescue Gonin Gora 17
Many residents of Gonin Gora are questioning why the state government, federal government, or security agencies haven’t done anything to rescue those kidnapped in Gonin Gora?
Their thought was amplified by Rev. Musa Kallamu when he told TruthNigeria that,
“During the Kuriga kidnapping, which occurred after 17 people were kidnapped in Gonin Gora, the governor of the state, Uba Sani, went to Kuriga personally, and within two weeks or so, the victims were rescued.”
“But in the case of Gonin Gora, the residents were tear-gassed for protesting that the military was slow to respond. Four months later, their fates hang in the balance,” Kallamu said.
“The State Government and the Federal Government are neglecting to act in the case of Gonin Gora 17 because the victims are mainly Christians while the victims of Kuriga are mainly Muslims,” Kallamu added.
“It did not take the Federal and State governments a month to resolve the Kuriga issue, but in the case of Gonin Gora, it is now four months and not a word from the Federal and State governments,” Rev. Azzaman told TruthNigeria.
“Why the double standard? Azzaman queried.
CAN Chairman Promises to Intervene.
Rev. Caleb Ma’aji, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna, struck a conciliatory note when he was asked about the plight of the Gonin 17.
“Honesty, I thought they had been released; nonetheless, I will discuss this with the governor of the state, Uba Sani, to highlight their plight,” Ma’aji, said to TruthNigeria.
“I am also using this medium to appeal to the governor to act quickly so that the kidnapped persons will be released. In the same vein, I am pleading with Christians in the state to be prayerful so that when I take the matter up, it will be speedily resolved.
Mike Odeh James is a Conflict Reporter based in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria and reports for TruthNigeria.
