The murdered Kano DPO

RECENTLY, there was palpable tension in the Rano Local Government Area of Kano State following a violent incident which led to the death of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO). According to a press release issued by the Kano State Police Command, the crisis began when a motorcycle mechanic identified as Abdullahi Musa was arrested for alleged reckless and dangerous riding. The suspect was believed to be under the influence of intoxicants at the time of his arrest and, according to the police, he developed health complications while in custody and was rushed to the Rano General Hospital. The statement issued by SP Abdullahi Haruna, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Kano Command, added: “He unfortunately passed away on 26th May 2025, at about 06:00 am, while receiving treatment. Following news of his death, a group of angry youths reportedly stormed the Rano Police Division, setting parts of the station ablaze and destroying several vehicles. The attackers looted and torched sections of the station, burnt two vehicles, destroyed ten others, and seriously injured the DPO.” The DPO, whose name was not disclosed in the statement but who was later identified as CSP Baba Ali, was immediately rushed to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where he died later that day.

 Following the incident, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, said: “We are committed to uncovering both the remote and immediate causes of this tragic sequence of events. Those responsible, either through direct action or incitement, will face justice. Let us allow the investigation to run its full course.” Subsequently, the police announced the arrest of 41 individuals in connection with the incident. Spokesperson of the command, SP Haruna, said: “The Kano State Police Command expresses shock and sadness over the brutal killing of the DPO while on active duty. This act is not only a loss to the police force but a grave attack on the fabric of our society. We stand united in our resolve to protect and serve our community and ensure that those who undermine our security efforts are held accountable.” The Kano CP, Bakori, was also quoted as saying that “the police will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all perpetrators are brought to justice. We urge citizens to remain calm and continue to support ongoing investigations.”

This incident is indeed saddening. It is inconceivable that a mob would invade a police station and mete out its own version of justice to police officers and men following the death of a citizen in detention. That is a brazen act of lawlessness that should not be tolerated under any guise. Society simply would crumble if everyone jettisoned the provided channels of complaint, executed accused persons, and burnt government properties to smithereens at the slightest provocation. This is, of course, not suggesting that the grievances of the ‘protesters’ in this case might not have been legitimate. If experience is any indication, many citizens have actually been tortured to death in police custody over the years, and it is entirely futile to deny the reality of extrajudicial actions by members of the force against the citizenry. Indeed, in the aftermath of the Kano incident, certain reports surfaced alleging that the murdered police officer had previously played a role in the death of two individuals. The reports said that in 2020, he was allegedly found to have played a role in torturing two individuals to death, with a third narrowly surviving the ordeal.

According to the reports, in March 2021, the Federal High Court sitting in Bauchi, Bauchi State, awarded ₦210 million in damages against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as compensation for the torture that resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left a third with life-threatening injuries while the deceased officer was serving as the DPO of the Bauchi Township Division.  The report then indicated that the Court of Appeal later, in March 2023, upheld the judgment of the lower court. However, regardless of whatever grievances anyone may have had against SP Ali, it is a fact that he was in his office performing his lawful duties when he was executed in dastardly fashion. Assuming but not conceding that he had a history of violent treatment of detainees, the proper thing to have done was to have petitioned the NPF headquarters or approached the court of law. In any case, the complainants could have brought their case to the court of public opinion. To storm a police station, set vehicles ablaze and execute a police officer on the strength of allegations of complicity in the death of a detainee is nothing but barbarity. It is patently illegal and utterly repugnant.

 Citizens should not take the law into their own hands at any time. If indeed the detainee who died in police custody was killed, there are better ways to seek redress. There is no police officer that is above the laws of the land and, in any case, there would have been nothing wrong with those aggrieved over the incident engaging in peaceful protest and calling on the police authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the detainee in question. It just cannot be right that mindless killings are always taking place across the country. It is also incumbent on the police authorities to stop the egregious practice of torturing suspects, and to probe all cases of alleged violations of human rights and mete out sanctions. The point should not be ignored, although it is no justification, that alleged torture of a detainee led to the violent reaction in this case.

This case should be investigated properly and whoever is found culpable prosecuted diligently in the court of law. Jungle justice is no justice.

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