Youths in Sharada Phase One in Kano Municipal Area, Kano State, Northwest Nigeria are poised for a protest against the alleged killing of two friends Saturday night by a policeman.
The deceased, Abubakar Isah (Banupe) and Ibrahim Suleiman (Mainasara) eyewitnesses told HumAngle were killed by a policeman attached to the Anti-Daba Unit of Kano Police at about 11 pm on Saturday during a search for a suspect popularly known as Gaddafi at an indomie spot owned by one Idi ‘Mai Shayi’(Tea Maker) who is also an elder brother of Gadaffi.
“A policeman called Ado forcefully dragged out Ibrahim Sulaiman from the Indomie shop, and stabbed him,” said Yakubu Abubakar, a resident of the area who witnessed the incident.
Abubakar further said the police also fired a shot from his which killed Abubakar Isah and pandemonium broke out in the process. Both Suleiman and Isah were at the shop to buy indomie when the police arrived in their vehicle.
He said the two of them were rushed to Murtala Muhammad General Hospital at about 2 am where they were pronounced dead.
“It was in the night when I heard a crowd of people shouting,” said Abdulkadir Shehu Adamu, a resident of the area who told HumAngle that he saw the two men lying lifeless on the ground when he came out to find out what was happening.
“As I came out I met two men on the floor while the Anti-Daba policemen drove away in their vehicle.”
Ibrahim Shehu, who also witnessed the incident hinted HumAngle that “It was in the night, I was sitting outside when the Anti- Daba squad came and interrupted the indomie spot.”
Shehu said, “unfortunately disagreement started and a policeman dragged Ibrahim and stabbed him twice”.
“The policeman shot his gun and also killed Abubakar Isah, we demand justice and also an end to police brutality,” he added.
Residents of the area who did not want their name mentioned because of police victimisation accused the police of coming around to extort money from the youths in the area.
“The police usually extort money from the youths in the area, however, it was the resistance of the extortion by the youth that led to casualties,” a resident said.
HumAngle gathered that the corpses of the two friends were buried on Sunday morning according to Islamic rites.
Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and Spokesperson, Kano State Police Command, disclosed that the police officer who was involved in the incident has been arrested.
Kiyawa in an SMS sent to HumAngle Correspondent in Kano added that some other civilians were also arrested in connection with the incident.
Police brutality in Nigeria recently led to widespread protests tagged #ENDSARS in which Nigerian youths demanded for police reform and the disbandment of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) accused of brutality and extra-judicial killings.
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