…Sustains eye injury; ‘disappears’ for his life.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Kaduna State Correspondent of the Daily Times Newspapers, Mr. Idibia Gabriel, has decried eye injury as a result of arrest, torture and inhuman treatment he went through in the hands of operatives of Nigeria Police Force in Kaduna State.
The journalist said he was arrested when he had taken a snapshot of a large number of cattle shepherded by the operatives of Nigerian Policemen on public road, on 11th June 2024, without any other disagreement between himself and the shepherd.
He was released with one side of the eyes almost blinded as a result of the torture, unholy and merciless treatment meted out to him, while in the police custody at Criminal Investigative Department (CID), Kaduna branch office.
Mr. Idibia, explained that he met two of the police officers before taking the snapshot of the cattle with the intention to use the photo as prove to clarify with the State Police Command spokesman on reasons for the arrests of the cattle, numbering over 50, which has been the usual practice.
The journalist told his colleagues that the police deleted the snapshot from his handset and took every of his detail, including contact number, address and even description of his residence before he was released on self recognition, fearing that they may come after him later.
The victim, in a statement, stressed that he was arrested and taken to the CID Police Station at Gabasawa solely for him to have taken the snapshot of a large-scale number of cattle shepherded by the police, around Valid Oil Filling Station, along the popular Kachia expressway at U/Boro, Kaduna, around 8:30am, and released in the evening time.
“I’ve just arrived my residence on leg, at about 9:30pm, in U/Boro, Sabon Tasha suburb, an area of about 6 kilometers from Kaduna main town where I was arrested and kept since morning of today (Tuesday) 11th June 2024.
“I was arrested and taken to Gabasawa CID Police Station for taking a snapshot of a large number of cattle arrested and shepherd by police, around Valid Oil Filling Station, along Kachia expressway, after identifying myself, without a kobo on me.
“When I rushed out of my house on hearing of heavy traffic holdup crisis caused by cattle and police at Kachia raid, around the New Market, U/boro, I had no penny on me.
“My phone and ID Card were seized before I was even taken into a police van and driven to Abattoir area of U/Pama Road where they waited, assembled and kept the cattle before I was later taken to the CID Office at Ibrahim Taiwo Road, inside Kaduna main town,” he stated.
He continued that, “On arrival at the Investigation Police Officers (IPO) office, at CID office, I was given a dirty blow by left side of my eye by one of the police officers I met on Kachia Road before I took the snapshot of the cattle.
“All I could remember was that I spoke to the same officer, who dealt me the blow in their office, on the Kachia Road and later left him for his colleague, but both of them could not respond properly, talk less of answering my greetings, when I ran to them on the road,” he stated.
“I withdrew from following them for further enquiry when all efforts to get their respond proved abortive, even after introducing myself as a journalist and took a snapshot of the cattle, where my handset was immediately seized by one of other officers coming from that direction.
“I immediately brought out my ID Card to further prove myself as a true journalist, which was also seized by another police officer and taken to the one with my phone, and I was then ask to enter their van and drove away, shouting and threatening me,” he added.
He said, “On arrival in their office, I was asked to write my statement in office. I pleaded that I should be allowed access to my phone to call someone before doing so, but was denied access to the phone by a female police officer in mufti, insisting that until I finish writing my statement.
“Even when I pleaded that I cannot see well with one side of my eye closed due to the injury from the blow, I was taken outside the statement office and coaxed to write my statement by force, based on their taste,” he said.
The journalist said after his release, he went straight to the office of the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kaduna State Police Command, Mansir Hassan, after a few minutes trekking from the CID office, waited and met him.
After explaining his ugly experience, the PPRO, who was in a hurry, preparing to go out, denied any knowledge of his arrest by policemen, but promised to investigate the matter. He failed to do so until the time of filling this report.
Also, when informed, Chairman of Correspondent Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, also promised to engaged police, but nothing was heard from him until the time of filling this report in terms of outcome as promised; although, he later replied text of “handing over the matter to the State Council Chairman and the Exco.”