A police officer in Ningi local government area of Bauchistate has allegedly shot one Sabo Idris
who was on his way to a mining field at Burra District “for refusing to offer N5O bribe”, uncle tothe victim, Adamu Yakubu told WikkiTimes in a telephone conversation.Adamu alleged that Sabo Idris was stopped by the police whowere on patrol and was shot in his leg “for dragging with the police over N50bribe”.
“They were going to their mining field, they passed amilitary checkpoint and met another police checkpoint who were on patrol, theywere stopped by the police, but when Sabo refused to yield to their demand tobribe them, one of the police shot him in the leg for attempting to leavewithout offering them the requested N50”, Adamu has alleged.
Adamu alleged that “the police used to stay at thatparticular point especially on market days to collect bribe from people,especially fulani motorcyclists who ply the Ningi Burra road”.
“After the incident, youths in the area where angry, and theywanted to take laws into the hands to attack the police, the district head ofBurra Alhaji Ya’u Shehu and the DPO Danladi Mohammed, pleaded with the youths tocalm down, that they will investigate the incident and bring the perpetratorsto book”.
Adamu Yakubu said the DPO personally took the victim togeneral hospital Burra for medical examination.
Shaibu Mohammed Ningi, a friend to Sabo who was on the same motorcyclewhen Sabo was shot says “what is more painful to us was the reaction of theDPO, instead of him to appear remorseful and show regret for the action of hismen, he was accusing us of speeding when he was not even around when theincident happened”.
In what looks like a similar incident, the police in DambamLGA have fled their divisional headquarters in fear of angry residents whoattempted to burn the police station following allegations that the police werebehind a robbery incident in the LGA.
A viral video circulating on social media has capturedanonymous voices accusing the police in Dambam of robbing motorists.
A resident of the LGA who pledges anonymity told WikkiTimes that“the police vehicle was seen close to the scene of the robbery and the policeofficers were not there, only for some people to appear in mufti few minutes later,identifying themselves as police officers who pursued the armed robbers”.
“Members of the public questioned the sincerity of the saidpolice officers, and that was how the people got angry and chased the policeofficers”, he said.
Reacting on the developments, Bauchi state policecommissioner, Mr Philip Maku has dismissed the viral video, describing it asfake.
“The attention of Bauchi State police command has beendrawn to a totally unfounded and mischievously fabricated video clip that showspatrol vehicle belonging to Dambam police division of the command carryingvictims of armed robbery attack mainly women and children, a background voicewas heard maliciously alleging that the police were responsible for thatrobbery attack”, the CP said.
“Consequently, when the team came back to the scene theymet some angry drivers with victims, while others maliciously accused them ofbeing responsible for the robbery. Unfortunately, at that time, the victimscould not refute the allegations as they were seriously traumatised which canclearly be noticed in the viral video”, Maku added.
Responding to the allegations regarding the police officerwho shot an innocent youth in Ningi, the commissioner said “we will investigatethe allegations and appropriate action will be taken”.
WikkiTimes recalled that in August 2019, a Divisional PoliceOfficer in Ningi, Mohammed Yusuf has allegedly shot one Labiru Ibrahim forfiling a complaint against the DPO.
Police in Nigeria have earned notoriety over allegationsbordering on extorting and brutalizing unarmed civilians; allegations theycontinue to deny.
