Alleged Torture: Family Of Victim Counters Police Claim, Says He Never Had Asthma

• A cousin of the deceased, Zainab Sani, said that he was never asthmatic, adding that he was hale and hearty at the time of his arrest by the police

The family of a 33-year-old man allegedly arrested and tortured to death by a combined team of policemen attached to the Yelwa division and a vigilance group in Bauchi State, has debunked the claim that the deceased was asthmatic, insisting that he died after he was tortured in police custody.

The late Dauda Danladi was arrested by the team of security agents in front of his shop located in Yelwa Tsakani, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis, about 9pm on Thursday and was taken to the Yelwa division, where he was allegedly tortured to death.

A cousin of the deceased, Zainab Sani, said that he was never asthmatic, adding that he was hale and hearty at the time of his arrest by the police.

Sani said, “It’s a lie. We lived together in the same house for over 30 years. He never even had pneumonia let alone asthma. They lied. His wife told us that he was okay when he left the house to go to his shop that day. She said she even cooked food and took it to him there.”

Read also: Police Reportedly Torture Man To Death In Bauchi

She insisted that he was tortured to death by the police, adding that justice should be served.

She added, “We don’t believe that he fell in front of his shop and was gasping for breath. If they took him to a hospital, why didn’t they call to tell us?

She said that the incident had left the family devastated, particularly the deceased wife who got married to him barely six months ago.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, SP Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Saturday morning, had claimed that the deceased was asthmatic and died in a hospital where he was rushed to by a patrol team.

Wakil said, “On Thursday, July 8, 2021, about 10.30pm, police patrol team raided a suspected criminal hideout at Yelwa Tsakani and arrested two suspects. During the course of the operation, the team equally received a distress call about a person who had slumped and was gasping for breath.

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“Police rushed to the scene and met the victim who was later identified as Dauda, surname yet unknown, lying unconscious and reasonably suspected to have an asthmatic attack. He was quickly evacuated by the patrol team to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital for medical attention where he was unfortunately certified dead by a medical doctor.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the command reiterates that the victim did not die in police custody as widely speculated by some mischievous persons who want to mislead the public for reasons best known to them.”

 

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