Community protest action
By Gabriel Udeh, Kaduna
Nigerian army have been dragged to Kaduna state high court for allegedly battering a popular vigilante leader and Kaduna Commander of civilian Joint Task Force (JTF).
The victim, Commander Aminu Sani, currently occupying the position of National Vice President of JTF was reportedly invited by army to a place known as Maguzawa forest where he was reportedly beaten and tortured to unconscious, and abandoned for 15 days.
According to family sources, through their Solicitor and Consultant, Barrister Aminu Abdurasheed, the Commander is known for taking the front seat in the war against Bandits and other crimes in Rigasa areas of Kaduna State, as also confirmed by police.
Barr. Abdurasheed who disclosed this while briefing Journalsts after filing a N500 million case against the Army in court explained that Commander Sani was first invited to a military out post at railway station in Rigasa by one Lt Col. Gada through phone calls which Sani graciously obliged.
Barr. Abdurasheed further explained that the victim was nowhere to be found for about fifteen days and his whereabout was not known to any member of the family.
He expressed surprised that no responses was gotten after series of petitions to 1Division Nigerian army kaduna and other security formations and copied all other security agencies in the state.
Barr. Abdurasheed said he was shock that suddenly information got to them that Commander Sani is at 44 army reference hospital Kaduna where they went and met him critically ill, battered with wounds, and at the point of death and hunger.
“I invite you here on a case of Aminu Sani, Civilian JTF Commander, kaduna and National vice president of civilian JTF.
“He was invited by one Lt. Col Gada in a military out post in railway station. Thereafter he could not be found for a long period of time until recently.
“We contacted 1Division Nigeria army kaduna but confirmed not in their facility, we wrote petition, sort of complain to GOC. We copied DSS, CP, IGP and kaduna State Government and informed them of the situation because the victim is one of the leading JTF, working hand in hand with all the security agencies in combating crimes in kaduna and beyond. Police knows him very well and confirmed this to us.
“And so if he is arrested without any information as a citizen of this country, it’s wrong, as the constitution presumed innocent even if he alleged to have committed any, until proved otherwise.
“He should be formally inform and his family should be inform, and charged to court within 48 hours after his arrest”, the lawyer said.
He said been that there was no information of his whereabout, they wrote to all the security formations but could not received any reply from the agencies we also copied.
He also stated “We later learnt that he’s lying in army 44 reference hospital emergency ward. We went there personally and saw him in a very terrible condition, dehiedrated, almost dying, laying in pool of his urine uncovered on bed inside mosquito with only one dirty short nicker cloth and malnourished.
Barr. Abdurasheed continue that “Seeing that, and been that there was no response from all quarters we copied, we decide to file a case at the state high court of kaduna whereby we try to enforce his fundamental rights as a citizen of the country.
“The constitution gave citizens of the country rights to file charges if your fundamental right is infringed upon or breached by any agencies be it military or police or any other agencies in chapter 4.
“For the past 7 years commander Sani has been contributing in combating crimes in this country. He’s always in the forefront of every war against Banditry, kidnappers and terrorists in this country.
“For him to be treated in this heinous manner, will demoralize other members of the civilian JTF and other voluntary forces trying to assist Nigerian security in combating crimes.
“We are going to apply for his immediate removal from that 44 hospital facilities to another hospital in kaduna.
“We’re also praying court to also enforce and declare all the unlawful detention, the maltreatment like torture and also award the damage against Nigeria army.
“We prayed for N500 million for Aminu Sani as compensation.
And we appeal to the citizens in Rigasa and Kaduna to remain calm and stop protesting as his matter is being handled in the most professional way is should be.
“When I met him in hospital he said when he was invited on the fateful night, he was taken to a forest call Maguzawa where he was severely beaten and torture till he lost consciousness, he later regained, two days ago on hospital bed.
“He’s spending about 15 days in the bed in hospital unprofessionallly attended to”, he said.
“He said he need foods, healthcare. If not for Aminu and his group’s contributing and perseverance, parts of Rigasa would have been in the hands of Bandits by now. He’s also always arresting petty crimes and handover them to police which was attested to by police, because he work directly in hand with them.
“Security especially army has been accused of not been sincere in combating this crime or coniving with some criminals especially the case of Mr Nwadume at hand, and looking at the contribution of Aminu Sani, and the way he was mal- handled by the army, even accused him of committing any crime, calls for serious concern and will go along way in making the general public supecious in the manner of his arrest and ways he was handled.
“From their press briefing on 3rd December, army said they arrested one Bandits who claimed that Aminu is part of the people that are given them information for their attacks on some areas which they mentioned in their briefing. But the rift between Aminu and the Bandits who always threatening to kill him, especially where he said some people gave money for him to eliminated, and looking at the ambuses layed on him and many of his boys.
And the way the Bandits killed many of his boys and burn his vehicle confirmed suspicion of the public and confirmed that he was arrested to be eliminated so that this people will have easy way of perpetrating their crimes”,
he lamented.
