By Ayo Kehinde
The police in Borno State have reacted swiftly to the ongoing campaign,#justiceforfadila, against the attack of a widow in Maiduguri by thugs on the order of a seniour lawmaker, by arresting four suspects.
The four suspects reportedly assaulted the lady, Fadila Abdulrahman, for criticising a lawmaker on Facebook. The trending videos on the assault show the plum lady been driven from her restaurant after it had been destroyed by the thugs and then cornered by them into a sitting position where they started abusing her and raining slaps on her face as she pleaded with them in Hausa.
The National Television Authority in Maiduguri gave wide coverage to the story which featured a lady respondent, Comrade Lucy Yunana, saying the police, the civil defence and the SSS as agencies that need to be proactive to ensure justice for the lady. The thugs reportedly mentioned the lawmaker who sent them as Eng Satomi Ahmed. He is 40 years and represents Jere Federal Constituency in Borno State at the National Assembly.
Announcing the arrest of the suspects, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Abdu Umar, while briefing newsmen, explained that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, and the Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, were miffed by the assault.
Umar said “the attack on the lady which went viral on social media was a case of criminal conspiracy, assault, causing hurt, mischief, possession of weapons, thuggery and theft.”
He said, “On January 23, 2022, at about 2:30pm, a gang of hoodlums who are loyalists of a politician supposedly, and named Hon Eng Satomi Ahmed, a member representing Jere Federal Constituency, were alleged to be engaged by one Sa’adu Suleiman alias Manu Nakande and invaded Zahura Restaurant in Maiduguri Amusement Park where Fadila Ibrahim (29) and a member of the Police Public Relations Committee were attacked, beaten up, her restaurant was destroyed and her handset seized merely for the purpose that she circulated on social media an image and writing undermining the integrity of their master, the member of the federal constituency as alleged.”
He said the command swung into action and arrested Nasiru Abubakar alias Mana, Bello Muddassar alias Alshabab, Ali Dungus Shettima alias Ari and Malam Mohammed alias Bonboy.
He further said, “We equally have suspects who are still at large and they include the principal suspect who engaged the culprits to go and perpetuate this nefarious act, Sa’adu Suleiman alias Manu Nakande, who is currently at large, but we are trailing him. Saleh alias Kinsa, Susa and others are still also at large.”
CP Umar assured that the suspects would be investigated and prosecuted, adding that Borno State had recently witnessed relative peace.
He said, “We are not going to allow miscreants to continue molesting people, committing gender violence and infringing on the fundamental rights of the citizenry, because it is not allowed. It is condemnable and we are going to prosecute every offender involved in this particular case.”
