By Yemi Monday
A Bauchi based businessman, Jibrin Dahiru, has petitioned the the State Police Command on the alleged intimidation, violence, assault and harassment meted against him by ASP (Assistant Superintendent of Police) Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar of RRS (Rapid REsponse Squad), demanding that his complaints be thoroughly investigated.
The businessman, in a petition by his Solicitors, An-Nur Chambers, stated 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.”
Jibrin Dahiru had petitioned Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Auwal Musa Mohammed, in a petition by An-Nur Chambers titled “Complaint of Intimidation, Violence, Assault and Harassment Against Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abdulmalik Tukur Abubakar of the Rapid Response Squad of the NPF, Bauchi State Command: Request for Discreet Investigation/Appropriate Action” and dated April 23, 2024. It was signed by MM Maidoki ESQ andNasiru Abubakar ESQ.
The petition reads: “We act as Solicitors to Jibrin Darhiru, a businessman of Wunti Market, Bauchi, Bauchi Local Government, Bauchi State (hereinafter referred to as “Our Client”) on whose firm and express instruction we write this complaint to your noble office.”
“Our client informed us that sometimes in March 2024, while in his shop at Wunti Market Bauchi and on the ordinary cause of his business, some Okada riders stationed in front of his shop thereby blocking his shop’s view from the sight of customers and our client urged them to stay aside, which they did but for one of them who said he is not going anywhere, an affront which led to verbal exchange of words between the Okada rider and our client while some onlookers are intervening for amicable solution.”
“That while the conversation is a going concern, a man later to be identified as ASP ABDULMALIK TUKUR ABUBAKAR (hereinafter referred to as the Respondent) approached our client unofficially out of the blue and started abusing our client saying in Hausa (dan bura ubanka kai waye Kafi karfin a baka hakuri) and went ahead to slap our client and our client reply back with a slap in an ordinary man’s inanner of responding to an Assault.”
“That since the incidence between our client and Respondent, our client remain on the run, for the fact that the said Respondent later revealed his status as a Police Officer and kept chasing after our client with a view to arrest him, our client, being tired of the endless running and to be able to attend his business, he reported himself at the Police Headquarters to the said ASP and was told to go till he is called upon.”
The Solicitors added that “And as expected, he was called to the S.I.B office on Friday, 12th April, 2024, the said Respondent as a complainant gave his statement, so did our client and our client’s brother solicited for the bail of our client but was told to comeback in the morning and when he came back, he did not meet our client at the S.I.B office but later in the evening he was brought to the office, a certain superior to the Respondent cautioned both the Respondent and our client and maintained that our client be released to his elder brother.
“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.
“Where 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, 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 beatings our client with koboko,” It further contained.
The Solicitors added: “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 the cold 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 sleep 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.”
When contacted for reaction, the Command PPRO, SP Ahmed Wakili, wrote: “I am out of town for another official assignment with the CP. I have not seen the petition yet. As soon as I lay my hands on it, I will respond.”