The International Human Rights Today Initiative, a non-governmental organisation focused on human rights protection, has filed a formal complaint with the Katsina State Police Headquarters.
The complaint alleges that a Divisional Police Officer in Dutsinma, Bello Gusau, took a 15-year-old girl, detained at the police station, to his home where she spent the night.
HRTI, led by Maiyasin, conducted a comprehensive investigation into the incident and gathered evidence confirming the girl’s overnight stay at the DPO’s residence, rather than at the police station as initially claimed.
In an interview with Maiyasin, he that the Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Musa, has taken the matter seriously and formed an investigative committee. The DPO has since been suspended pending the investigation’s results.
According to HRTI’s findings, the girl had been missing before being found and taken to the Dutsinma Police Station. Due to the late hour, she was left at the station to stay overnight.
However, Gusau allegedly told the girl’s relatives, who came to pick her up, that he would personally take her home the following morning.
When the relatives returned the next day to bring her food, they were informed that she was no longer at the station. After a tense confrontation with officers, the girl was returned to the station but was found wearing different clothes from the night before.
The organisation claimed that the girl confirmed to them she had spent the night at the DPO’s house, and they recorded her testimony. Her father has expressed a firm resolve to seek justice for his daughter through the proper legal channels.
In response to the complaint, Abubakar Aliyu, the spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, confirmed that the matter is under investigation, promising that the inquiry would ensure accountability and justice.
As the investigation unfolds, local authorities are working to determine the truth of the allegations and ensure the appropriate measures are taken.
