One Ibrahim Hashimu was reportedly beaten to death for allegedly stealing seven pieces of watermelon worth N2,000 at Dallaji village in Warji Local Government of Bauchi State.
The incident, according to Bauchi Police Command, happened on March 29. The command’s spokesman, Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, identified those who lynched the deceased as Mohammad Daluta (24), Ibrahim Mahmud (22), Bashir Mahmud (18) and Abdullahi Mahmud (22).
Wakil said a preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased trespassed into a farm belonging to the first suspect and stole seven pieces of watermelons.
In the process of making away with the “stolen” fruits, Garba caught the deceased and conspired with three others to tie him with rope. They eventually manhandled him and he died after sustaining an internal injury, Wakil explained.
“On the 29th March 2023 at about 1000hrs, Ado Sanya ‘m’ aged 40yrs of Dallaji village Tudun Wada ward Warji LGA, reported at Warji Divisional Police Headquarters that on the same date at about 0120hrs one Ibrahim Hashimu ‘m’ criminally trespass into the farmland of one Mohammed Garba ‘M’ of the same address and stole some watermelon.
“On receiving the report, a team of detectives were quickly drafted to the scene and evacuated the victim to General Hospital Warji for medical attention and referred them to Cottage Hospital Gwaram LGA, Jigawa State, where he was certified dead by the medical doctor,” Wakil stated.
He said Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Aminu Alhassan has directed that the case be transferred to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for discreet investigation.