With a deep sorrowful heart, Fatima Baba Shehu Liman writes this painful story of what happened to her cousin today.
“As a Nigerian citizen, I have today seen the highest order of abuse of office and cruelty by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officers.
At about 1 pm of 18, May 2020 SARS officers jumped the fence and entered my aunt’s (Hajiya Nana Ibrahim) house in Gwarinpa, Abuja, and started shooting while Sadiq Abubakar Ibrahim was performing ablution for Zuhr prayers.
On sighting one of the officers shooting, he got scared and thought they were armed robbers, out of fear he jumped into their neighbour’s house, one of the officers shot him on the hand, he was caught and handcuffed while his hand was still bleeding.
One of the neighbour’s son was caught and was shoved into their vehicle with Sadiq.
Meanwhile, the remaining officers broke the doors into the house, and brought out the remaining boys (Al’amin, Umar, Buhari, Sheikh, Muzammil, and Abduljaleel) and Sadiq’s father (Engineer A.Y Ibrahim) and started beating them before taking them away – minutes later, some of the officers came back to the house and packed the bullets that were on the floor in an attempt to hide evidence.
After making several phone calls, we learnt that they were taken to the SARS office at Guzape with a lot of cooked up stories.
On reaching there, they took us to see one of the heads of the office, he narrated that the officers were chasing a kidnapper that was demanding ransom and the kidnapper jumped into my aunt’s house.
They denied shooting anybody and stated that Sadiq got injured by barbed wire while trying to escape. They also claim that Sadiq is the kidnapper.
After narrating our side of the events and listening to Sadiq’s step mum (Hajiya Zakiyya Ibrahim), the officer asked them to release everybody.
I demanded that they take Sadiq to the hospital to get treated and they must foot the bills. The commander and his deputy threatened to arrest me for saying that, and he said everyone should be arrested.
After going back and forth, I insisted they give us Sadiq for treatment and since no hospital would accept a victim of a gunshot without a police officer attached, I demanded one of the police officers accompany us to the hospital. They took Sadiq in their Hilux vehicle, drove him to National Hospital and left, the Doctors told them to wait behind and submit their statement, but they refused and left us there.
When the bandage on Sadiq’s hand was removed, the hospital confirmed it’s a gunshot wound – the bullet has damaged his Radius and Ulna bone, and also damaged the whole tendons on the wrist.
We are demanding justice for Sadiq and the entire family. If there is any justice remaining in Nigeria, if not then as Nigerian citizens our government has failed us.
SARS officers are very cruel, inhuman, and operate extrajudicial. If anyone can help us to raise the alarm until it reaches the ears that need to hear and Justice is given to Sadiq, it will be appreciated
We have raised our hands in prayers to Allah in this Holy month for his divine intervention.”
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The human right activist should please take up Sadiq’s issue to court for appropriate litigation. We can not allow this type hooliganism in Uniform. The family should document every bit of their medical bill and damages. It is unfortunate indeed. Where is the Professionalism in SARS.