By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A petition to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi SAN, has opened the lid on the sordid and allegedly fraudulent operations of some personnel of the Bauchi State Police Command, North-East Nigeria.
The petition detailed a five-day period of surveillance on alleged cases of illegal arrests, some of the victims being picked up from their shops as they closed business for the day, others merely walking along streets, and subsequently hounded into unlawful detention and extorted tens of thousands of Naira, forced to pay for their freedom,amid the prevailing economic hardship in the land.
According to the petition, a copy of its acknowledgement of receipt which was obtained by People&Politics , some of the erring policemen allegedly unashamedly owned up to the extortion bazaar, even boasting that there will be no sanctions on them.
Rights activist, Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, fired the petition, which was copied Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; and Minister of Police Affairs, Sen. Ibrahim Geidam.
The petition, entitled: ‘Petition Against Bauchi State Police Command on Illegal Operations’, alleged that the actions of the cops amounted to kidnap of citizens.
Borno State-born Rev. Dikwa is the Director General (DG), Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria.
Also copied are Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Hashimu Argungu; Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun; and Commissioner of Police (CP), Bauchi State, Sani-Omolori Aliyu.
In the petition, Dikwa also claimed that,during a visit to a police station in Bauchi metropolis where some of the suspects were taken to, he saw “over 40 innocent, law abiding” persons in detention.
The contents of the petition raise fresh public concerns over issues of Police compliance, or lack of same, with constitutional provisions; adherence to extant laws; ethics in law enforcement; bribe-taking, corruption; and penalties, or lack of same, by the top brass on erring personnel.
The petition was dated May 19, 2025.
It read, in part: “On May 13-17, 2025, I visited Bauchi State, Bauchi town, and stayed at a guest house called Horizontal Guest House.
“To my surprise, two young businessmen also staying at the hotel went to a shop to buy some provisions. Suddenly, some police officers rushed into the Horizontal Guest House, arrested these two young businessmen, took them into police custody, and demanded N10,000 each for bail.
“When these young businessmen were released and returned to the guest house, the receptionist informed me about what had happened to them. I asked them to follow me to the police station where they were detained, and we went together to meet the police officers.
“I inquired about the offenses these young men had committed. The police officers candidly admitted that they were on a mission to extort innocent, law-abiding Nigerian citizens, and there was nothing we could do.
“Upon arrival at the station, I saw over 40 innocent, law-abiding citizens in police custody. Some victims had been arrested while closing their shops to go home between 9:00-10:00 pm. Others were detained on their way home from work or business.
“Despite the economic hardship many Nigerians face, police officers were using their uniforms and guns to intimidate, harass, and molest innocent citizens, unlawfully collecting N10,000 or N15,000. This is another form of kidnapping!
“Therefore, we call on the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission to take necessary actions against the criminal activities of some police officers who perpetuate injustice and make life unbearable for innocent, law-abiding citizens.
“Sir, we look forward to your prompt attention to redress the great injustice meted out to Nigerian citizens, which is a total violation of their inherent rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
