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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Family of 33 years old Dauda Danladi is claiming that he died in Police custody following his arrest by operatives of the Yelwa Division of the Bauchi State Command which is claiming that the late Dauda died of asthma attack after he was helped to the hospital by the Police.
State Commissioner of Police, Sylvester Abiodun Alabi while reacting to the claim of the family said that, there was no iota of truth in the claim by the family saying that, “nobody died in Police custody anywhere in the Command”.
The CP said that, “some people were arrested with locally made revolver pistol with ammunition, 5 of them, 3 were released because they were not linked with the issue while the other ones are still in our custody”.
The Police Commissioner further said that, “the person that died was not even part of them, he was about 200 meters away from them, it was when he was gasping for breath in his business place that he was rushed to the hospital where he died. The Police helped him to the hospital because he was gasping for breath “.
” If Police did not assist now, it would be another case, Police now assist again na wahala, they are claiming he died in our custody, haba. I have told the PPRO to go to the media and tell people the correct version of the story,” he stated.
However, immediate younger sister of the deceased Dorothy Danladi, while narrating what happened said that, ” I live in Kagadama, Thursday night, his wife called me few Minutes after 9pm and told me what happened that Police arrested her husband. I told her that no problem, tomorrow morning (Friday), we will go there to know what actually happened.”
She added that, “Friday morning, we went to the Police Station, the wife and our mother had gone ahead, the wife now called to tell that she was told at the Station that her husband had fainted and had been rushed to the hospital. I immediately drooped what I was doing and rushed to meet them”..”One of the Officers on duty asked her if he was on medication which she answered in the affirmative because he was taking local herbs to cure an infection he had. We thought that since he did not take the herb the previous night before he was arrested, he will take it that morning. We took the herbs to the station and handed it over to them at the counter”, she added amidst sobs.
She further said that, their mother and the wife were later called inside one office at the station while they were outside saying that, “I just suddenly heard cries from the inside and I rushed in only to be told that my brother was dead. At that point I became wild and scattered everywhere, I even broke one of the windows glass”.
A traumatized Dorothy said that, “All we are asking for is justice, first let them release the corpse to enable us confirm that it is actually Dauda. We will give him a befitting burial because he was dear to us. After that, we will take the next necessary action to get justice for him”.
“He just got married in December last year, the wicked people did not allow him to enjoy his marriage, now his young wife has been made a widow in her youthful age. Nigerians should come to our aid to get justice for our innocent brother”, Dorothy cried out.
When our correspondent visited the house around 6pm on Friday, family members and several sympathisers were seen weeping and agonizing what they described as act of wickedness by people who are paid to protect lives and properties of innocent citizens.
An eyewitness, Mrs Liatu Nuhu, who sells kunu gyada close to the shop of the deceased said that the police and the vigilante arrived in Gestapo style and started arresting people indiscriminately.
Liatu Nuhu said, “I was doing my business when, suddenly, the police and some vigilantes came, more than 10 of them, and started arresting people. The Divisional Police Officer got out of the vehicle and directed them, ‘Arrest him! Arrest him!’
She added that, “And that was how they arrested the boys playing snooker, others who were chatting and the deceased who was standing in front of his shop. We kept telling them not to arrest him, we told them that he was our neighbour here and we knew him to be someone of good character. We asked why they would arrest him, but they still took him away.”
The middle aged woman who was in shock added that, “Today (Friday) in the morning, we went to the police station around 7am, they told us to stay at a far distance and wait for the DPO to come to the office. So, I decided to go to my place of work”.
“By 10.15am, I returned, only for me to see the deceased’s wife crying profusely. When I asked her what happened, she told me that her husband was dead”, she agonized .
Another eyewitness, Madam Sheba who fries akara in the same place said that, “We are doing our business when we suddenly saw Policemen dropping from a Hilux van and started arresting youths who were playing snooker game. Uncle (that was how they poparly called him) was inside his kiosk where he sells recharge cards and charge phones “.
Madam Sheba added that,”they just went inside and dragged him out, all of us were shouting that he was not part of the crowd but they refused to listen to us. Their leader was just ordering that everyone must be picked. That was what happened. It was just this morning that I heard that he was dead. It is indeed painful “.
