Bauchi housewife alleges rape by Immigration officer, arrest of husband

A middle aged housewife in Bauchi State, (names withheld), has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to as a matter of urgency, constitute an investigative panel on the complaint of alleged rape she brought to the State Police Command against a serving Deputy Immigration Superintendent, one Sani Muazu.

The victim who spoke to journalists in Bauchi on Wednesday alleged that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Auwal Musa Mohammed had failed to investigate the case, but swiftly arrested her husband, Yusuf Samaila on allegation of defamation of character based on the suspect’s counter complaint.

The mother of two children is heartbroken that while the Police failed to investigate her complaint, allegedly perpetrated by the suspect in the presence of two of her children, they have arrested and detained her husband and granted the suspect bail in less than 24 hours of his arrest.

She approached a Human Rights Civil Society organization, African Child Development and Human Rights Protection, Bauchi, seeking justice and the organization has written a petition on her behalf to the CP to re-arrest the suspect for justice.

The bitter woman expressed regret that the Police had failed to respond to her complaint but instead, arrested and detained her husband for alleged defamation of the suspect for six days.

The victim, who said her husband is still in Police custody, expressed regret that three weeks after she petitioned the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, nothing had been done.

She explained that she and her family have been traumatized by the rape incident and arrest of her husband.

Addressing a press briefing on Wednesday, founder of African Child Development and Human Rights Protection, Barrister Muhammed Alkassim, condemned the Bauchi CP for failing to investigate a serious allegation of rape.

According to him, “my client is crying for help and justice. We condemn the failure of the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Command to investigate the case of alleged rape.“

He added that, “It is important to state categorically that the Police has derailed in the general and specific objective of the establishment of the newly established Police Act as provided under section 1 and 2 of the same act.

“As human rights organization, it is also important to further draw the attention of the Bauchi CP in further discharging his primary duty of the Nigeria Police pursuant to Section 4 of the Nigeria Police Act which is to prevent, detect crime and protect the right of every person in Nigeria as provided in the constitution”

Akassim recalled that he wrote a petition, dated December 22, 2023, to the Commissioner of Police in the state, which was acknowledged on behalf of the victim saying, “This petition has been lying in the office of the CP for almost three weeks without investigation.”“

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He added that, “It is a pity and sad to point it clearly, the Police has derailed specifically on their primary function to investigate any allegation that has been filed before them.“

The Human rights activist added that, “Lubabatu has been raped based on the information that we have received and rape is a serious offence under setion 278 of the Criminal Code of Bauchi State. It is a heinousoffice”

Barrister Alkassim further disclosed that the very first day that the petition was sent to the office ofthe CP Bauchi, through her first Solicitor, G Haasan and Co, the Police arrested the suspect.

He also said that, “In less than 24 hours, he was released on bail in a capital offence unconditionally. This is pathetic. It is our view that the Police should immediately order for the re-arrest of the suspect on account of the victim

“As a human rights group, we will not relent, we will continue to push until justice is done,” he added.

While reacting to the development, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Command, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, said that contrary to the claim of the civil society organizations, the CP received a petition from G Hassan and Co dated December 12, 2023.

According to him, “The Commissioner of Police had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department to investigate.”

He added that, “The case was indeed investigated and the two lawyers that raised the petition-Nazir Umar and Aliyu Mohammed came to the Criminal department and a case of this magnitude of rape was mentioned“

According to him,”It is a capital offence and investigation is still ongoing and the outcome of the investigation will be revealed to the public”

On the arrest of the victim’s husband, the PPRO disclosed that he has been charged to court on allegation bothering on criminal defamation saying, “He is also charged for aiding and abetting offences to within kidnapping and the Command received petition from Nazir Umar and Co chambers on behalf of their client Sani Saleh Mauzu against the said Yusuf Samiala and based on that the suspect was arrested.”

The PPRO added that, the Command received a petition from Naziru Umar & Co. Chambers on behalf of his client, Sani Saleh Muazu against the said Yusuf Samaila and based on that he was arrested.”

According to him, “Our investigation has so far indicted and revealed that he absconded from Zamfara State where he was being trailed by Policemen who arrested his accomplices after a heavy gun duel and presently hiding in Bauchi at Giwo estate.”

“In addition, our intelligence mechanism has so far uncovered a lot of instances surrounding such allegations against the said Yusuf Samaila and co which for imperative security reasons, we cannot disclose for now, but we assure you to disclose it, as at when due,” he added.

Wakili Ahmed concluded that,”We have duly filled our motion exparte in compliance with section 304 of the ACJL Bauchi state 2022 for remand pending the arrival of legal advice and necessary action from the DPP.”

By Yemi Kanji

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