By Sule Aliyu, Bauchi
In its sustained onslaught against violent crimes, the Bauchi State Police Command has made significant breakthroughs with the arrest of suspects in five separate cases involving culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy/foeticide in Bauchi metropolis and Kirfi and Ningi Local Government Areas of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Bauchi, saying the arrests formed part of the Command’s sustained efforts to tackle violent crimes across the state.
According to the statement, the first incident occurred on September 18 in the Gida Dubu area of Bauchi metropolis, following a misunderstanding between 19-year-old Abubakar Hudu and Hassan Adamu.
The disagreement, which reportedly occurred at Hassan’s residence at about 5:15 p.m., escalated into an exchange of blows before the parties were separated.
The statement said Hassan subsequently became unconscious and was rushed by relatives to the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, where he was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.
Detectives from ‘C’ Division visited the scene and the hospital, while the deceased’s remains were examined, photographed and released to his family for burial.
The suspect was subsequently arrested and is assisting the police with the investigation.
In a separate incident in Kirfi Local Government Area, the police said a dispute over farmland between 25-year-old Haruna Bala and 22-year-old Audu Babangida, both residents of Kafin Sarkin Yaki village, degenerated into a fight.
During the altercation, the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim in the neck with a knife.
The victim was rushed to General Hospital, Kirfi, where he was confirmed dead.
His remains were later released to his relatives for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
The police said operatives of the Kirfi Division subsequently launched an intelligence-led manhunt and arrested the fleeing suspect on September 18 at River Kafin Iya while allegedly attempting to cross into Gombe State. A knife believed to have been used in the incident was also recovered.
In Ningi Local Government Area, the Command said two suspects, Aminu Jibrin of Burra District and Salihu Mohammed, 25, a chemist shop operator from Sabuwar Tiffi, were arrested over alleged criminal conspiracy and foeticide.
The suspects were reportedly arrested following information provided by a human rights activist in Ningi.
The police alleged that the two suspects conspired and unlawfully administered substances to 22-year-old Hauwa’u Yakubu of AAY Quarters, Ningi, resulting in the termination of her pregnancy.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, mni, psc(+), has directed that all three cases be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Bauchi, for discreet investigation and prosecution.
The Commissioner also warned members of the public against jungle justice and self-help in resolving disputes, urging them to remain law-abiding and provide the police with timely and credible information to assist in preventing and investigating crime.