A Human Rights Group, Prison Inmate Development Initiative (PIDI-Nigerian) has sent what it calls “save our souls message” to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state over alleged harassment and intimidation of petty traders by men of the Nigeria Police Force.
In a letter sent to the governor and made available to newsmen, a human rights defender, Mbami Iliya Sabka, said few days ago, “Rapid Response Squad of the Bauchi state command led by its Commander, SP Baba Yola storm Awala roundabout, harassed and intimidated Petty traders.”
“On 17th day of August, 2020; at about 3:00pm the men of the Nigeria police force known
as Rapid Respond Squad led by One SP Baba Yola, stormed Awala roundabout and some of
the petty traders were assaulted, harassed and intimidated”, the letter noted.
It added that, in the process, the squad also arrested about 3 innocent citizens in the name of enforcing what they said was a directive from Governor Bala Mohammed of the state.
According to the human rights defender, the leader of the squad told the traders that they were been instructed by the state governor to ensure the immediate evacuation of petty traders at Awala roundabout within three working days with effect from 17th to 20th day of August, 2020.
“SP Baba Yola threatened them, that if the police should find anyone within the premises
as the stipulated date of the ultimatum by the Governor that the person will be arrested and taken to an unknown destination “outside the jurisdiction” or place he/she was arrested no matter who that person is”, the letter said.
Mr Sabka said that SP Babayola had further threatened to use bulldozer to demolish the shops around the Awala roundabout.
Sabka in the letter said that PIDI-Nigeria has been investigating and reporting past and present activities of the Rapid Response Squad under the control of SP Baba Yola on the enforcement of the curfew imposed to curtail the spread of the Covid-19 by the government.
The group accused the squad leader of carrying out illegal detention and arrests of innocent
citizens contrary to the Executive order as imposed by the government to curb COVID-19 spread.
The petition which also recalled that 37 arrested persons were domiciled in a cell with a Suspected Covid-19 patient wondered what part of the constitution guaranteed such action.
The human rights group while describing Governor Bala Mohammed as an advocate of human rights, decried that Baba Yola has been carrying out what it calls “illegal acts claiming that it’s a directive from the governor.”
“The question that demands an answer is, are we in a military regime that the citizenry will be evacuated from a government premises without a formal notice as stipulated by the law in a
democratic government? The rights group asked.
Sabka who cited many instances of human rights violations credited to Baba Yola and his arsenals appealed to the Bauchi state government to passionately look into the issues with a view to addressing them once and for all.
“We demand that, if at all it is the government policy, those petty traders should be given an emergency protection to avoid forceful imprisonment in an unknown Correctional facilities”, the letter read in part.
The group demanded that the leader of the Rapid Response Squad be called to order for acting unprofessionally, denting the image of the Nigeria Police Force and that of the Bauchi state government.
