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Islamic Movement Demands Whereabouts Of Member Tortured, ‘Abducted’ By Nigerian Police For Six Months

November 24, 2021

Yahuza was said to have been whisked away by the police to an unknown location on May 7, 2021 upon his arrival at Wuse Zone 3, the venue of the protest.

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shiites has lambasted the Nigerian police over the abduction of one of its members, Yahuza Haruna Masaka, during a procession by the movement in Abuja six months ago.

Yahuza was said to have been whisked away by the police to an unknown location on May 7, 2021 upon his arrival at Wuse Zone 3, the venue of the protest.

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The sect said the whereabouts of Yahuza remained unknown till date after he was handed over to the patrol team at Eagle Square where he was allegedly tortured and brutalised alongside other members of the movement.

The Secretary of Academic Forum of the Movement, Abdullahi Musa disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

The statement said since the abduction of Yahuza six months ago, they had not been able to establish contact with him or see him while the police also denied the family access to him.

The statement reads, “The bus, with the 62 people already under the so-called arrest, was moved off to the Eagle Square. At that point in time, Yahuza was handed over to the patrol team in a Hilux Van.

“At the Eagle Square, the police tortured them, used electric shocks which led to the sudden and unfortunate death of Naziru Mu’azu from Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State; and 44 people sustained varying degrees of critical injuries.

“Are not civil protests and religious processions part of the fundamental rights of citizens? In a manner not befitting a police profession and those engaged in it, they accosted and arrested underage (males and females) and passers-by that were not even protesting. Police trampling upon citizens' human rights is untoward.

“Though Yahuza’s younger sister, Rahma Salihu, was taken to Anti-Vice Unit of the police, Wuse Zone 2, she was later released on the same day.

“For the past 6 months, all efforts to locate Yahuza Haruna have proved abortive.”

The statement bemoaned the unprofessional conduct of the police in keeping an innocent citizen incommunicado without allowing him access to his family and lawyers

IMN therefore called for his immediate release adding that the action  of police was in violation of his fundamental rights .

“Due to unprofessional response from the FCT Police Command on the matter, we filed a fundamental right enforcement suit at Federal High Court against Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation on the 3rd of August, 2021. The number of the suit is FHC/ABJ/CS/807/2021 and the case is before Hon. Justice Obiora A. Egwuatu.

“While waiting for the mentioning of the case, we condemn the unlawful abduction of Yahuza Haruna by the FCT Police and demand for his immediate and unconditional release,” the statement added.

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Accident Islam