Four persons have been arrested in Bauchi for reportedly torturing to death a suspected watermelon thief.
Ahmed Wakil, the state police command’s spokeswoman, confirmed this in a statement.
According to Wakil, the deceased was apprehended after reportedly stealing seven watermelons worth N2,000 from a summer farm in Dallaji Village, Tudin Wada Ward, Warji Local Government Area, Bauchi State.
“On March 29, 2023, at approximately 10.00 a.m., one Ado Sanya, male (40), of Dallaji village Tudun Wada Ward, Warji LGA, reported at the Warji Divisional Police Headquarters that on the same date, at approximately 1.20 a.m., one Ibrahim Hashimu, male, criminally trespassed into the farmland of one Mohammed Garba, male, of the same address and stole some watermelons.”
Mohammad Daluta (24), Ibrahim Mahmud (22), Bashir Mahmud (18), and Abdullahi Mahmud (22), all of whom live at the same address, bound his hands with a rope and beat him with clubs.
Upon receiving the report, a team of detectives was swiftly dispatched to the scene and took the victim to General Hospital Warji for medical assistance, where he was referred to the Cottage Hospital, Gwaram LGA, Jigawa State, where the medical doctor confirmed him dead.
An investigation was launched, and preliminary findings revealed that the victim “Ibrahim Hashimu” broke into a summer farm and took seven pieces of watermelon fruit worth N2,000.
The owner of the farm grabbed him on the spot while he was removing the stolen stuff. He then banded together with others and thrashed him with sticks. As a result, he suffered an internal injury that resulted in his death. As a result, all four of the aforesaid individuals were apprehended, and an investigation is currently ongoing to investigate all of the complexities surrounding the case.”
According to Wakil, the Commissioner of Police, Aminu Alhassan, expressed concern about the suspects’ actions, saying that instead of reporting the event to the Police for proper investigation and prosecution, they took the law into their own hands.
“However, he directed that the case be transferred to the Bauchi Criminal Investigation Department for a discreet investigation and assured members of the public that justice would be served accordingly,” he said.
