A man, Ibrahim Hashimu, has been beaten to death for allegedly stealing seven pieces of watermelon worth N2,000 at Dallaji village in Warji Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The state police command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmed Mohammed Wakil revealed this in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi.
According to the PPRO, the police have arrested the culprits.
Wakil said preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased trespassed into a farm belonging to one Mohammed Garba and stole seven pieces of watermelon fruit valued at N2,000, adding that in the process of taking the stolen fruits away, the farm owner caught him and conspired with others and beat him with sticks, following which the alleged thief sustained an internal injury which led to his death.
“On the 29th March 2023 at about 1000hrs, Ado Sanya ‘m’ aged 40yrs of Dallaji village Tudun Wada ward Warji LGA, reported at Warji Divisional Police Headquarters that on the same date at about 0120hrs one Ibrahim Hashimu ‘m’ criminally trespass into the farmland of one Mohammed Garba ‘M’ of the same address and stole some watermelon.
“On receiving the report, a team of detectives were quickly drafted to the scene and evacuated the victim to General Hospital Warji for medical attention and referred them to Cottage Hospital Gwaram LGA, Jigawa State, where he was certified dead by the medical doctor,” the PPRO, a Superintendent of Police (SP), stated.
He said that the deceased’s hands were tied with a rope, and he was beaten with sticks by Mohammad Daluta (24), Ibrahim Mahmud (22), Bashir Mahmud (18) and Abdullahi Mahmud (22).
Wakil said the state Commissioner of Police, Aminu Alhassan, frowned at the action of the suspects, who instead of reporting the case to the police for proper investigation and prosecution, took the law into their hands. He directed that the case be transferred to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Bauchi for discreet investigation.
In a related development, the Kano State Police Command has arrested a 17-year-old boy for allegedly defiling two minors in the state.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr Mamman Dauda, confirmed the arrest in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday.
He said, “On April 2, at about 3 p.m, the police received a distress call that the suspect allegedly lured a seven and six-year-old into his room in Badawa Layout Quarters, Kano.
“The suspect gagged them and defiled them. The victims were rushed to the Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital Kano for treatment.
“Investigation is ongoing and once completed the suspect will be charged to court,” Dauda added.
