…Some Victims Arrested While Closing Their Shops
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has been petitioned over alleged illegal operations by the Bauchi State Police Command.
In a petition dated May 19, 2025, and made available to our reporter, activist and petitioner Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa alleged that more than 40 innocent and law-abiding Nigerian citizens were being unlawfully held in police custody in Bauchi State.
According to Dikwa, some of the victims were arrested while closing their shops between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., while others were detained on their way home from work or business, despite the ongoing economic hardship in the country.
The petition, titled “Petition Against Bauchi State Police Command on Illegal Operation”, was addressed to the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation at the Three Arms Zone, Garki, Abuja.
Detailing his experience, Dikwa wrote:
“Between May 13 and 17, 2025, I visited Bauchi town and lodged at the Horizontal Guest House. During my stay, two young businessmen, also lodging at the hotel, went to a nearby shop to purchase some provisions. Suddenly, police officers stormed the guest house, arrested the two men, and took them into custody, demanding N10,000 each for bail.”
He continued: “When the men were released and returned to the hotel, the receptionist briefed me on the incident. I took them to the police station to inquire about the offense they allegedly committed. Shockingly, the officers openly admitted that they were on a mission to extort innocent citizens, and claimed there was nothing anyone could do about it.”
Dikwa further stated that upon visiting the station, he saw over 40 citizens being unlawfully detained.
“Many of them were picked up late in the evening while closing their shops or returning from work. The police were using their uniforms and firearms to intimidate, harass, and extort N10,000 to N15,000 from innocent people. This, to me, amounts to another form of kidnapping,” he wrote.
He called on the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission to take swift action against what he described as criminal activities by some officers in the Bauchi State Command.
“We urge your prompt attention to redress this grave injustice and restore the fundamental human rights of affected citizens, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” the petition concluded.
The petition was signed by Rev. Amb. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, Director General of the Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria. It was also copied to the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Command; the Governor of Bauchi State; the Chairman of the Police Service Commission; the Inspector General of Police; the Minister of Police Affairs; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and the President of the Senate.
