Six Residents Arrested For Reporting A Case To Punch.

No fewer than six residents of Jimeta area in Adamawa State

were arrested on Tuesday after a PUNCH report that some

cops attached to the Doubeli Police Division tortured a

resident, Kabiru Ahmed.

It was learnt that the residents – Ahmad Aliyu, Nibras

Mamman, Muhammed Sulei, Abdulrahman Nasir, Kabir Mubi

and Umar Baba –were arrested around 5:30pm on Tuesday at

the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, where they had gone to visit

the victim.

The cops were said to have been annoyed by The PUNCH’s

publication on Tuesday.

Our correspondent had reported that policemen from the

station raided Zanrada Street on May 16, and arrested a youth,

who was found with cannabis.

The policemen wanted to arrest some other youths, who were

without cannabis when Ahmed, a National Diploma holder in

criminal management, challenged them, insisting that

“innocent” persons should not be apprehended.

He was said to have been whisked away in a tricycle to the

station and allegedly tortured till he fainted. It was said that

the policemen contacted Ahmed’s mother around 12am the

following day, informing her that he had been admitted to

hospital.

A resident and activist, Adamu Ibrahim, had urged the

Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, and the state

Commissioner of Police, Ghazzali Mohammed, to wade into

the matter and ensure that justice was done.

Ibrahim told PUNCH Metro on Wednesday that the six

residents were arrested on the FMC premises immediately they

left the ward where Ahmed was being treated.

He said, “Around 5pm yesterday (Tuesday), 14 of us went to

visit Kabiru (Ahmed) at the hospital. He was able to recognise

us but he could not talk. We donated the little amount we

contributed to him and left the ward at about 5.30pm.

“A friend left to visit another patient in the hospital and

begged us to wait for him. I was hanging around the

premises while the others were at the point where we parked

our bus. Then, about 10 policemen in mufti came and asked,

‘Where is Adamu Ibrahim?’ They did not see me, but they

arrested the six residents.

“A friend called the Police Public Relations Officer and

informed him of the development, but he said he was not

aware. I think it was your (PUNCH’s) report that prompted

their action.”

One of the parents of those arrested, Mallam Ali Mamman,

said he went to the station but was not allowed to speak with

his son, Nibras, and his friends.

Mamman said he decided to report the case to the state police

commissioner on Wednesday after his attempts to secure their

bail failed, adding that they were later released around 12pm

on the order of the CP.

He said, “The policemen did not allow me to have access to

my son and refused to tell me the offence he and his friends

committed. On Wednesday, the CP called the policemen to

bring them. He asked the policemen and the children what

happened.

“The CP asked why the arrest was made but they said they

only invited them to the station to gather information. He

said what they did was wrong and ordered that they should be

released without delay. They have all been released.”

Calls made to the line of the state police spokesperson,

Othman Abubakar, were not answered.

However, he sent a “Not true” response to a text message

sent to his phone.