A businessman, Jibrin Dahiru, has petitioned the Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Auwal Musa Mohammed, alleging intimidation, violence, assault and harassment by one Assistant Superintendent of Police, Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar of the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
The petition, dated April 23, 2024, titled “Complaint of Intimidation, Violence, Assault, and Harassment Against Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar of the Rapid Response Squad of the NPF, Bauchi State Command: Request for Discreet Investigation/Appropriate Action,”
The petition obtained by our reporter was drafted by the victim’s solicitors from An-Nur Chambers and signed by MM Maidoki and Nasiru Abubakar.
According to the solicitors, the incident was said to have occurred last month at the victim’s shop at Wunti market where an altercation occurred between Dahiru and some okada riders who parked in front of his shop.
The victim had asked the motorcycle riders to move aside as they were obstructing the customer’s view, before it resulted in an altercation when one of the motorcyclists refused to comply.
The petition stated that “During the altercation, ASP Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar approached our client and verbally abused him in Hausa before physically assaulting him. Our client, in self-defense, retaliated with a slap.”
“Since the incident,
our client has been evading the respondent, who later identified himself as a police officer, and attempted to arrest him. To resolve the matter, our client reported himself to the Police Headquarters, where he was instructed to wait for further instructions.”
The solicitors added that “Our client was subsequently called to the S.I.B office on April 12, 2024, where both parties provided statements.”
“Despite efforts by our client’s brother to secure bail, he was instructed to return the next morning. Upon his return, our client was not present at the office initially but was later brought in, and a senior officer cautioned both parties before releasing our client to his elder brother.”
However, the respondent, despite his superior’s directive, refused to release the petitioner and delayed bail procedures.
The petition stated further 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.”
According to the petition, “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, and he was rushed to Specialist hospital Bauchi by his elder brother for medical attention.”
They further wrote that, “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 beating our client with koboko,” It further contained.
“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 his pool 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 slept 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. Please accept the assurances of our highest esteem while looking forward to seeing your prompt consideration.”
When contacted for reaction, the Spokesman of the command, SP Ahmed Wakili stated that, “I am out of town for an official assignment with the CP. I have not seen the petition, as soon as I lay my hands on it, I will respond.”