We’ll probe allegations of human right abuses, rape against our Bauchi officers- NDLEA headquarters
Mohammed Kaka Misau
Following media reports on allegations of human right violations and rape against some of its officers in Bauchi state, the headquarters of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has vowed to follow the matter up.
According to report in WikkiTimes online Newspaper, the headquarters of the NDLEA vowed to follow up the matter and have the suspects dealt with if found wanting.
It said the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi yesterday assured that the matter is been investigated in Bauchi.
The new development our Corresspondent gathered, is coming after WikkiTimes had reported how the agency’s command in Bauchi is attempting a cover-up for its officers accused of rape and violation of human rights.
“The NDLEA spokesman explained that the matter is being investigated, adding that the agency’s command in Bauchi had invited five key actors in the matter but only three showed up”, the online Newspaper reported.
It said that the Agency’s Media Director declined comment on how those who honoured the invitation were forced to eat their words and also detained for six hours, some officials of a human rights organisation — Council for Affirmative Action (COFAA) — who took up the matter against the agency’s officers.
He acknowledged that a petition was received on 25/10/2022 by the state command and the petitioner (Council for Affirmative Action) invited to avail the office five key actors in the matter.
“Only three of them came while the other two failed to appear. Another letter was again written by the state command on the 2/11/2022 to the same petitioner,” he continued”, WikkiTimes quoted the NDLEA media man as saying.
“All of these suggest that the case is being investigated and the national headquarters of the agency will follow up to ensure the truth is established and any infraction is appropriately dealt with”, he said.
The online Newspaper recalled that Baba Hayatu (otherwise known as Gombe), Abubakar Adamu and one other officer of the command, had on October 18, 2022, assaulted one Auwal Abdullahi, a resident of Wuntin Dada, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis.
The officers later raided the victim’s residence where they attempted to rape his wife, Aisha Auwal, according to the human rights organization.
Abdullahi was in his marketplace at Wuntin Dada when he spotted the officers of the agency clad in Mufti, brutalizing one Aminu Alkali “for an unknown reason,” according to the rights group. The officers descended on him after he tried to save Alkali.
The matter was later reported to the village head of Wuntin Dada where the memory card was presented as an exhibit.The command after receiving a petition from COFAA, invited the victims, the village head and other characters in the case, including Mbami Iliya Sabka who signed the petition. While Sabka was represented by his colleagues, Alkali who was first brutalised by the officers was absent.
“Two days ago, COFAA received another letter from the command urging that the rights group to present Sabka and Alkali for onward investigation. This was shortly after COFAA petitioned the Bauchi State Police Command to investigate the matter”, WikkiTimes reported.