SaharaReporters learned this during a telephone conversation on Friday with the Sokoto Police Public Relations Officer, Rufai Ahmad.
The Nigeria Police Force has moved the alleged killers of a butcher, Usman Buda, who was killed by a mob in June for alleged blasphemy in Sokoto to the country’s capital city, Abuja.
SaharaReporters learned this during a telephone conversation on Friday with the Sokoto Police Public Relations Officer, Rufai Ahmad.
The police spokesman added that the reason for the transfer of the case was for further investigation by the force.
He said, “If a case is said to be transferred to Abuja, it will go along with the suspects now, how would you take a case to Abuja and leave the suspects here in Sokoto? All of them (arrested suspects) have been transferred.”
SaharaReproters on Thursday reported that the police confirmed the arrest of at least eight suspects who participated in the gruesome killing of Usman Buda for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad during an argument at Sokoto Modern Abattoir market.
“Before the case was transferred to Abuja two weeks ago, we arrested two suspects and the officers in Abuja later arrested more suspects. They (Force Headquarters) arrested about six to seven more suspects,” Rufai told SaharaReporters on Thursday.
However, in viral audio files obtained by SaharaReporters, a veterinary doctor narrated the events that led to the gruesome murder of Usman. The veterinary doctor said the butcher was wrongfully accused by the mob who killed him.