Vice President Namadi Sambo had a raw deal in the hands of suspected thugs in Kano, Monday, when he was held hostage for 20 minutes before a negotiated settlement. The incident occurred at the old campus of Bayero University Kano shortly after the number two citizen rounded up official engagement in the university. It took the intervention of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 1, Tambari Yabo, before the vice president regained his freedom. The drama began when dozens of heavily armed thugs who posed as loyal party men beat the security cover around the vice president. Like a well rehearsed script, some of the thugs in unison chorused on top of their voices “Bamuayi, Bamuayi, Bamuayi” which means “we are no longer with you,” while others shouted “mungaji da aiki banza,” meaning “we are tired of the job.” Before the visibly shocked Sambo could utter a word, an equally embarrassed AIG Tamara Yabo ordered his men to disarm the protesting thugs. However, it was at this juncture that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stalwarts in the vice president’s entourage moved in and demanded to know from ‘the boys’ why they chose to embarrass the vice president. The thugs, explaining their position, told the vice president how they had risked their lives for PDP in the state, but that no one has paid them anything despite promises. The party officials were, therefore, directed by the vice president to attend to their needs and save the party public embarrassment. The thugs later rejoined the vice president convoy and headed to other areas of engagement in the city.
