The Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) has called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu to intervene on the case of Mr. Sadiq Ibrahim Abubakar who was attacked and almost got killed as well as victimization and unlawful arrest of 11 persons, by men of Special Task Force (STF) at SARS Office, Guzape, Abuja so as to ensure a fair investigation and administration of justice.
NOPRIN in a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Mr. Ikule Emmanuel said that it gathered that the incident occurred on the 18th May, 2020 at No. 16 First Avenue Gwarinpa, Abuja, around 1pm when SARs officers jumped the fence and entered the house of Nana Ibrahim in Gwarinpa Abuja and started shooting.
It added that “the victim Sadiq was performing ablution for Zuhr prayers, on sighting one of the officers shooting, he got scared, thinking they were armed robbers, out of fear he jumped in to a neighbour’s house, one of the officers shot him, luckily was hit on the hand”, saying that he managed into the neighbour’s house where his hand was bandaged.
NOPRIN disclosed that the officers went into the compound and arrested Sadiq who was bleeding, handcuffed him with one of the neighbour’s son and took them into their vehicle while the remaining officers broke the doors into their house, brought out the remaining boys, men and started beating them up and took them away leaving the women at home.
According to the group, “That after some minutes, some of the officers came back to the house and packed the bullets that were on the floor in an attempt to hide evidence, after making several phone calls, they were said to be taken to the SARS office at Guzape with a lot of cooked up stories, on reaching there as they took them to see one of the heads of the office.
“The officer narrated that, they were chasing a kidnapper who demanded a ransom and the kidnapper jumped in to Nana Ibrahim’s house and that they didn’t shoot anybody. That Sadiq got injured by a barbed wire while trying to escape and that Sadiq is the kidnapper. After narrating their own side of the story, the senior officer realised there were some hidden facts and asked that everybody be released.
“The family demanded that Sadiq be taken to the hospital for treatment and that they must foot the bills.
“That the commander and his deputy threatened and rearrested them saying he was not releasing anybody but after going back and forth, the family insisted they give them Sadiq for treatment and since it was a gunshot injury, none of the hospital’s would attend to them except they go with a police officer.
“That the officers took Sadiq in their Hilux vehicle to National Hospital Abuja but when the Doctors told them to wait and submit their statement, they refused and left. The bandage on sadiq’s hand was removed, it was a gunshot injury and the bullet damaged his Radius and Ulna bone and also damaged the whole tendons on the wrist.
“Since the occurrence of the incident, the victim has been on admission at the National Hospital with the family paying the bills since the police have not visited since they dropped them at the hospital and Sadiq would be undergoing surgery on the 20th May, 2020.
NOPRIN therefore called on the Inspector General of Police to use his good office to ensure that those officers were brought to book and the victims compensated for damages done to their houses as well as undertake full payment of the victim’s medical bills.
“We therefore seek your prompt intervention to ensure that Mr. Sadiq gets justice and that this serves as deterrent to other officers who may resort to the abusive use of arms and other dangerous devices on citizens they are meant to protect”, it said.
Photo. The victim, Mr. Sadiq Ibrahim Abubakar.
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