‘I have not been sleeping ever since my son was tortured to death by the police who are expected to protect lives and property of the masses’, Babangida Bala, the father of Ibrahim Babangida said, while narrating what let to the death of his son following police brutality in Bauchi.
Babangida’s son was killed alongside one other for allegedly stealing chickens by a Police Divisional Officer manning township.
He said the ugly incident occurred more than two weeks ago, lamenting that he has no information as to whether the said DPO has been arrested by the police or not.
“When I heard that my son has alongside his two friends got arrested by the police for stealing chickens, I refused to go and bail him, expecting that the police will take them to court for prosecution, but unfortunately they took the law into their hands”, Babangida said.
Babangida who said even though his son has committed an offence, the treatment meted was not proper.
The weeping father called on the IGP to ensure that the case is not swept under the carpet.
Also, Alhaji Bello Mukhtar, father of Abdulwahab Bello who survived the alleged torture by the Divisional Police Officer of Bauchi Township Police Station, called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu to ensure that justice is served.
Muhktar who spoke to journalists, accused the DPO of taking the laws into his hands.
He petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to investigate the matter and ensure that the DPO who allegedly murdered the two young men and inflicted serious life-threatening injuries on his son, face the full wrath of the law.
“For the Police to do this kind of thing, one day, this nation will not know peace. When a Policeman takes the laws into his hands and kills your son, tomorrow, if you see him, what would you do to him? You too might take the laws into your hands. Just as he killed your son, you’ll also want to do the same to him”, Mukhtar said.
“What I have spent so far in treating my son is more than N50,000. This has not been easy with me at all and one of his sisters has also been helpful in footing his medical bills”, he explained.
Abdulwahab who was brought to NUJ secretariat by a human rights organization known as Prison Inmate Development Initiative (PIDI-NIGERIA) on Monday, alongside others in a tricycle, said that he miraculously survived torture from the DPO.
“It all started a fortnight ago when we were arrested by the Police over theft of chickens belonging to a retired Police Officer. I was on the way when I met two of my friends, Ibrahim Kapala and Ibrahim Babangida, who were looking for buyers and I suggested to them that I have a customer at the Muda Lawal Market”, he said.
Abdulwahab who didn’t know that they were stolen chickens, took them to the Muda Lawal Market where they disposed them.
“Shortly after the incident, I was arrested alongside two of my friends and taken to the Police Station where the buyer of the chicken was also arrested and the matter was settled and we were asked to pay for stolen chickens”, Abdulwahab further narrated.
“They said that we should pay the money for the two chickens and my father brought the N4,000 to them and the DPO told my father to go that they will release me”, he added.
“We came out and he asked us to go to the back of the Police station and we did and he asked us to lie face down on the ground, from there he ordered that Ibrahim Kapala, should be tied”.
Abdulwahab said he was watching when the DPO asked his other Policemen to tie his friend after which the DPO himself went and brought out a piston and started hitting Ibrahim with it until his legs were broken.
“Some of the Policemen were there watching and none of them could say a word”, Abdulwahab said while groaning in pains over his broken leg.
“While he was beating him, he was saying that ‘today, stealing of chickens has ended’ and he continued beating him and he fainted. After he fainted, he started kicking him him with his foot even though he was motionless”, he added.
Abdulwahab said after hi friend died due to the torture, the DPO ordered that the second person be brought to him.
“Immediately he was brought, he descended on him also and broke his leg by using that same piston. He also used it to hit him on his chest and his back, he too fainted”, Abdulwahab who is the only survivor of the DPO’s alleged torture said.
He revealed that while his friends were being beaten, he knew the DPO would do the same thing to him and he had concluded that he was dead.
Abdulwahab said: “While that was happening, I just concluded that since that was happening to my friends, the same beaten and treatment would be done to me. My thought was that they would kill me too because my friend was lying down there motionless and he was telling him to die, so I just gave up and was waiting for my own time.”
He denied allegations by the Police that they were serial thieves who have been terrorising residents of the area and other areas saying that “anybody that told you that I have been doing that is lying to you.”
Prison Inmate Development Initiative (PIDI) told WikkiTimes that the case has been transferred to Special Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police, hoping that the DPO would be brought to book for committing culpable homicide and the inhumane treatment meted on the victims.
The Executive director of the human right organization, Mr Mbami Iliya Sabka commended the Commissioner of police, Bauchi state command, Lawan Tanko Jimeta for acting swiftly on the matter.
While demanding justice for the victims, PIDI also demanded that the outcome of the investigation at the SPU be made public for the interest of justice and the said DPO punished to serve as deterrent to others.
