The deceased, a resident of Damaiwa village via Bursali ward Zaki Local Government Area of the state, was said to have gone to Damaiwa bush with the four people to test if a charm would protect him against gunshots.
Unfortunately, when a locally-made gun was shot at him to ascertain the efficacy of the charm, it failed and he was killed in the process.
The Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Police Command, Ahmed Wakil, stated these in a statement made available to journalists in the State on Tuesday.
He said that when the Police received information about the incident, they rushed to the scene and evacuated the victim to the hospital, but he was certified dead by a medical doctor.
According to him, two of the suspects were immediately arrested while others who escaped are being hunted by the police.
Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, said, “On October 31, 2023, at about 8.30 am, information received from the officer-in-charge of the Bursali Police Outstation under Zaki Division revealed that one Danladi Ya’u, male (28) of Damaiwa village via Bursali ward Zaki LGA, Bauchi State, a native doctor, and three other accomplices now at large, went to Damaiwa bush with the sole aim to test a gun medicine on one Muhammadu Ali, male (43) of the same address.
“While in the process, the said Muhammadu Murtala was unfortunately (shot) with the locally made gun by the said Danladi Ya’u (defendant).
“On receipt of the report, a team of detectives led by DPO Zaki swiftly swung into action, rushed to the scene, and evacuated the victim to General Hospital Jakusko Yobe State for medical attention, where he was certified dead by a medical doctor.
“Moreover, two suspects were immediately arrested, and efforts have been intensified to trace and arrest the fleeing accomplices. The investigation is ongoing, after which the defendants will be charged to court.”
He said that the command calls on the public to take this act as a lesson and avoid being used as cannon fodder to casualize innocent and hardworking citizens because every human soul is very important and sacrosanct to every bearer.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Musa Muhammad, assures the family, friends, and loved ones of the deceased that the Command will remain neutral and ensure that justice is manifested to both,” he said.
Meanwhile, he added that an armed robber who, alongside others, robbed the Bishop Moore Memorial School Staff Quarters, belonging to the Bauchi Catholic Diocese, on November 4th, 2023 at about 4.30 a.m., was killed by a mob.
Wakil stated that operatives attached to GRA Police Divisional Headquarters led by the Divisional Police Officer in conjunction with local vigilantes swiftly responded to an armed robbery incident at the Staff Quarters.
He said, “Upon arrival at the scene, the suspects took to their heels to a nearby mountain. However, they were pursued and arrested. The prompt response of the operatives prevented the suspects from being lynched by a mob. One of the suspects was killed as a result of the mob action.”
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, while reacting to the ugly incident, frowned at the action of the irate youths “who, instead of taking the suspect to the police for proper investigation and prosecution, mobbed him (the suspect) to death without any recourse to the law.
CP Auwal described the act as barbaric and inimical to the law governing our dear country and warned youths that the Command under his stewardship will not tolerate or allow some recalcitrant in the society to take the laws into their hands by killing suspects arrested for alleged crimes in such a dehumanizing and unlawful manner.
“Nobody has the right to treat a suspect in such a brutal manner and it is wrong for anyone to assume the position of a law enforcement agency, suspect apprehended in connection with any crime should be mediately handed over to the police or any law enforcement agencies saddled with the responsibility of investigating and prosecuting such,” he warned.
The PPRO said the suspects arrested are: Suleiman Adamu (19), Umar Abubakar (19), all males and residents of Kandahar Area of Bauchi metropolis.
He said that the investigation revealed that the suspects specialised in breaking into students’ compounds with dangerous weapons during dark hours in Wuntin Dada.
Waki said a confession from the suspects revealed that they were all armed with cutlasses and sticks when they invaded the students’ compound. However, detectives recovered two machetes, 18 mobile phones, two laptops and three MP3 players from them.
He said that an investigation into the incident is ongoing to arrest their accomplices and thereafter charge them in court for prosecution.
