ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A 60-year-old man and his two sons, have been arrested by Bauchi State Police Command, for allegedly attacking and injuring an operative of the Federal Road Safety Corps during patrol.
The two also said to have set the FRSC patrol van ablaze.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, confirmed the incident to journalists in a telephone conversation.
He said that the FRSC operatives who were on duty, along Bauchi-Gombe road, stopped the suspects but the driver refused to stop.
Wakil said that the suspects, Umar Gwallaga (60) and his two sons – Nasiru Umar Gwallaga (42) and his younger brother, Usman Umar Gwallaga (39), who were driving in a Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep were on their way to Gombe from Bauchi when they were stopped.
He quoted a Superintendent of Police as saying: “On March 7, 2023, at about 6.00 am, one Nasiru Umar, 42 years old of Gwallaga, Bauchi, Bauchi State, loaded his family members in his Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep from Bauchi to Gombe State.
“On reaching Tashan Durumi village, in Kirfi LGA, a patrol team of FRSC on a Federal highway, performing their strategic duties while on stop-and-search, stopped the vehicle but the driver refused to stop.
“At about 3.00 pm, while he was returning from Gombe to Bauchi, he was stopped and asked to present particulars of the vehicle, he then came out of the vehicle and attacked one of the FRSC personnel, Anas Aliyu, and as a result, he had a dislocation on his hand.
“He further went and attacked the patrol team driver and then set the patrol van on fire, in the process, his father, Umar Ahmed Gwallaga, 60 years and his younger brother, Usman Umar Gwallaga, 39 years old, joined him in attacking the personnel.”
He added: “Presently, the suspect and his conspirators were arrested and are under Police detention at Kirfi Police Division.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aminu Alhassan has directed the DPO Kirfi, to conduct preliminary investigations while the case file should be transferred to the SCIIB for further discreet investigations. If the suspects are found wanting, the Police Command would charge them to court for arson.”
The Police Spokesman, Wakil stressed that the state Commissioner of Police advised the public to always respect and obey personnel who are on their legitimate duties, warning that no offender would be spared, as anyone found culpable will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Also, in a First Incident Report by the FRSC Bara Unit Command on 7 April, 2023, titled, “Mob Attack on Patrol Team,” the Sector Command stated that, at about 3.05 pm, its patrol team along Bara-Gombe road had an encounter with an offender with a Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep with Vehicle Registration Number: BAU 976HB.
“As a result of the encounter, the patrol vehicle was set ablaze and was burnt completely. The offender has been arrested and is under Police custody,” the statement added.
On his part, the FRSC Sector Commander, Yusuf Abdullahi, condemned the incident, describing it as most unfortunate.
Abdullahi wondered why people take the laws into their hands for no just cause, assuring that the FRSC will pursue the case to a logical conclusion and ensure that justice is done in order to serve as a deterrent to others.