Victim of alleged Police brutality writes Bauchi CP, demands justice

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

A Bauchi-based businessman who alleged that he was brutalized by ASP Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar of the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has written to the state Commissioner of Police seeking for justice.

The victim (petitioner) Jibrin Dahiru petitioned Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Auwal Musa Mohammed complaining of alleged intimidation, violence, assault and harassment meted on him by the police officer.

The petition was titled “Complaint of Intimidation, Violence, Assault and Harassment Against Assistant Supritendant (ASP) Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar of the Rapid Response Squad of the NPF, Bauchi State Command: Request for Discreet Investigation/Appropriate Action”.

The petition was written by An-Nur Chambers and dated 23rd April, 2024 signed by MM Maidoki ESQ, Nasiru Abubakar ESQ.

“We act as Solicitors to Jibrin Darhiru, a businessman of Wunti Market, Bauchi, Bauchi Local Government, Bauchi State (hereinafter referred to as “Our Client”) on whose firm and express instruction we write this complaint to your noble office”, the petition said.

The Solicitors said in the petition that they were informed by their client that sometimes in March 2024, while in his shop at Wunti Market Bauchi doing his business, some Okada riders stationed in front of his shop thereby blocking his shop’s view from the sight of customers.

It added that, an appeal on the Okada riders by his client to stay aside was complied with but one of them refused.

The petition said, the refusal of the Okada man led to verbal exchange of words between him and the business man with some onlookers intervening for amicable solution.

The Solicitors said “while the conversation was going on, a man later to be identified as ASP Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar (hereinafter referred to as the Respondent) approached our client unofficially out of the blue started
abusing our client, saying in Hausa (dan bura ubanka kai waye Kafi karfin a baka hakuri) and went ahead to slap our client and our client reply back with a slap in an ordinary man’s inanner of responding to an Assault.”

The petition said the respondent after identifying himself as a police officer, the complainant took to his heels while the police officer kept on chasing him with a view to effect his arrest.

According to the Solicitors, tired of running and abandoning his shop, their client reported himself at the Police Headquarters to the said ASP and was told to go till he is called upon.

The Solicitors said as expected, their client was called to the S.I.B office on Friday, 12th April, 2024, during which the said Respondent as a complainant gave his statement and their client did same.

They added that after giving statement, their client’s brother solicited for his bail but was told to comeback in the morning and when he came back, he did not meet the client at the S.I.B office.

“But later in the evening he was brought to the office, a certain superior to the Respondent cautioned both the Respondent and our client and maintained that our client be released to his elder brother.” The Solicitors said.

“That after the said superior to the Respondent called, Sani left, the Respondent despite being a complainant, maintained that he is not going to release our client as directed by his superior and asked our client’s elder brother to come back the following day for the release of our client and on Sunday the 14th day of April, 2024, in the morning, the elder brother to our client called the Respondent severally but the Respondent said when he is ready for the bail he is going to inform our client’s elder brother”, the petition narrated.

According to the petition, “Where after a long silence, our client’s elder brother visited the S.LB office around 5:00pm and found our client in severe pain resulting from the effect of torture on his finger nails, back and mouth and our client’s elder brother maintained that he is not going to take our client in that condition but was advised and later took our client home but having regards to the gravity/severity of the ailments, our client could not bear because of severe pain, he was rushed to Specialist hospital Bauchi by his elder brother for medical attention.”

“Our client informed us that he was taken to Police Station at Tambari Housing Estate by same Respondent where he was beaten severely by the Respondent (ASP ABDULMALIK) and other Police officers at the station to the extent of commanding our client to open his mouth and tear gas his mouth before being taken to detention room and the following morning on Saturday, our client was taken back to the S.I.B office and all that transpired at the market was narrated before the A.C S.I.B and was taken back again to Tambari Police Station.”

“That while at Tambari Police Station, the Respondent met our client lying at the detention room and commanded our client to follow him to a designated place in the station alongside other people our client identified as D.J, Baba Sadiq and Auwal of container market and the ASP started beating our client while the above mentioned people joined him in beatings our client with koboko,” It further contained.

The Solicitors added that,”That the ASP handcuffed our client and hanged him even when our client is telling him that “I am no longer under your control since our statements were taken, you should wait for the outcome of investigation” but lo and behold, the ASP in his determination to extra judicially torture our client, picked a Plyer and went ahead to pinch our client’s nails with the Plyer to the extent that our client had to faint because of excessive pain and was left in the cold of blood.”

Furthermore,”That on Monday morning, 15th day of April, 2014, the Respondent visited our client at Tambari station where after seeing strain of blood on our client’s cloth, the Respondent personally brought cloth, directed our client to change into the said cloth he brought and then he personally again took our client’s cloth that was bathed with blood (containing N70,000 stocked in the trouser) and the Respondent personally again returned the cloth washed and ironed but without the 70,000 and the Respondent picked our client to a hospital at State Low-cost Bauchi for treatment of wounds and injection.”

They added that,”From the hospital at state low-cost, the Respondent took our client to Wunti market while being handcuffed and paraded him to people at the market to showcase his gallantry, where from the market, he again took our client to Government House, Bauchi and paraded our client again to some Police officers showcasing his gallantry and he later returned our client back to the S.I.B office.”

“That while at the S.I.B office, a Police officer called Lamido was concerned about the health status of our client and he took our client to Tashan Babiye Hospital for examination before handling our client to his elder brother, and our client after reaching home could not bear severity of the pain nor can he
even sleep and was again taken to Specialist Hospital Bauchi where he was admitted and was later discharged on Tuesday evening, the 16th day of April, 2024.

The Solicitors stressed that,”Our appeal sir, is to please cause this complaint to be thoroughly investigated and ensure appropriate measures in the interest of justice, so as to redeem the bad image of the Police as portrayed by the Respondent”, the Solicitors wrote.

Reports indicated that the Command’s PPRO, SP Ahmed Wakili said he is not in town and has not seen the petition, promising to respond upon laying hands on the said petition.