A Fulani herdsman, Alhaji Inuwa Ibrahim, is crying for justice over the unprovoked killing of his 35-year-old son, Abdulrahman, a father of five children, by unidentified hoodlums in Agejeju in Dakina Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Alhaji Inuwa who spoke to newsmen today in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, said that after spending three nights in Dakina police station where he went to report the killing of his son, and after paying over N50,000 to police officers, all he was told by the police was “don’t be offended by the death of your son.”

According to the aggrieved father, the area commander in Ayangba collected N25, 000 in addition to another N30, 000 he spent to bribe the Dakina divisional police officer as well as to refuel the police vehicles and other expenditures, saying: “All of such efforts ended in nothing.”

Narrating the story, Alhaji Inuwa said that on that faithful day, August 8, he went out on his motorcycle with his late son in Itakwe village of Dekina, where they had lived for close to 10 years. He said that on their way back to their house, the son took permission to stay behind to observe the late evening prayer before returning home.

Inuwa said that he was surprised to hear that some people from another village called Agejeju, about 15 killometre apart, went to where his son was, picked him up after shooting him in his two legs and drove him to their village.

He said that the unidentified people, who have been having some misunderstanding with Fulani people in their village, simply brought his son down from the vehicle and shot him to death, along with four others, including one Mallam Saidu with whom his son was taken away.

Alhaji Inuwa said that what pained him was that since he has been living in Itakwe with his late son, they had never gone to Agejeju where he was eventually taken to and killed.

He also said that he and his family have been living peacefully with neighbours for all the years they stayed in the village, adding that even before they were allowed to settle in the village, they were screened by the local chiefs and security agents and certified to be humble, friendly and peace-loving.

Inuwa said that when report reached him that his son had been brutally killed, he rushed to Dakina police station to lodge a report, but that the police did not attend to him until after he had spent three consecutive days and nights.

His said: “And when they turned their attention to me, they asked me to fuel their vehicles, pay for all sort of things before they would move to the site of the crime.

“Even when they were going, they asked me to remain behind. When they returned, they merely told me that 'those people' said that they did not take my son. They asked me not to feel offended and that I should go.

“Even when I reported the case to the Area Commander in Ayangba, it did not help the matter; that was after I had been made to part with N25, 000 for the Area Commander.”

Our correspondent made several efforts to get the version of the police in Dakina and Ayangba but the divisional police officer and the area commander snubbed him.

However, senior police officers in Dakina, who preferred to be anonymous, confirmed that Alhaji Inuwa lodged complaint about the killing of his son, but that when the Police went to the village concerned, no one was ready to point out those who killed the man.

“We can’t just arrest anybody on sight since no Police was there when the crime was not committed.”

•Photo shows IGP Arase.

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