Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN Foundation) is a network of 53 civil society organisations spread across Nigeria is calling on the government and the police authority to investigate the alleged shooting of one Sodiq Ibrahim by men of the Nigeria police Force in Abuja.
A statement signed by Ikule Emmanuel National Coordinator of NOPRIN states.
"We write to bring to your attention and to request your intervention to ensure a fair investigation and the administration of justice in the case of attempted Murder on the life of Mr. Sadiq Ibrahim Abubakar, victimization, unlawful arrest, detention of 11 others by men of Special Task Force (STF) at SARs office Guzape about 1pm at their resident at House No. 16 first avenue, Gwarinpa, Abuja.
NOPRIN gathered that the incident which occurred on the 18th May, 2020 at No.16 first avenue Gwarinpa, Abuja, around 1pm when SARs officers jumped the fence and entered the house of Nana Ibrahim in Gwarinpa Abuja and started shooting. The victim Sadiq was performing ablution for Zuhr prayers, on sighting one of the officers shooting, he got scared, thinking they were armed robbers, out of fear he jumped in to a neighbour's house, one of the officers shot him, luckily was hit on the hand. He managed into the neighbour’s house where his hand was bandaged.
That the officers came into the compound and arrested Sadiq who was bleeding, he was handcuffed with one of the neighbour's son and taken into their vehicle, meanwhile the remaining officers broke the doors in to their house, brought out the remaining boys, men and started beating them up and took them away leaving the women at home"
The statement read further
"That after some minutes some of the officers came back to the house and packed the bullets that were on the floor in an attempt to hide evidence, after making several phone calls they were said to be taken to the SARS office at Guzape with a lot of cooked up stories, on reaching there as they took them to see one of the heads of the office.
The officer narrated that, they were chasing a kidnapper who demanded a ransom and the kidnapper jumped in to Nana Ibrahim's house and that they didn’t shoot anybody, that Sadiq got injured by a barb wire while trying to escape and that Sadiq is the kidnapper, after narrating their own side of the story the senior officer realised they were some hidden facts and asked that everybody be released.
The family demanded that Sadiq be taken to the hospital for treatment and they must foot the bills.
That the commander and his deputy threatened and rearrested them saying he was not releasing anybody but after going back and forth the family insisted they give them Sadiq for treatment and since it was a gunshot injury none of the hospital's would attend to them except they go with a police officer.
That the officers took Sadiq in their Hilux vehicle, to National Hospital Abuja but when the Doctors told them to wait and submit their statement they refused and left. The bandage on sadiq's hand was removed, it was a gunshot injury, and the bullet damaged his Radius and Ulna bone, and also damaged the whole tendons on the wrist"
Since the occurrence of the incident, the victim has been admission at the National Hospital with the family paying the bills since the police have not visited since the dropped them at the hospital and Sadiq would be undergoing surgery on the 20th May, 2020.
We call on you to use your good office, to bring those responsible to book. Our prayers include among others:-
1. The said officers are brought to book and victims be compensated for the damages to their houses.
2. Full payments of the victim’s medical bills.
We therefore seek your prompt intervention to ensure that Mr. Sadiq gets justice and that this serves as deterrent to other officers who may resort to the abusive use of arms and other dangerous devices on citizens they are meant to protect.
We thank you and anticipate your pro-active response in ensuring that justice prevails.
Yours faithfully,
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