•Victim’s grandmother, father apprehended
An almajiri school teacher, 24-year-old Ma’aruf Muhammad, has been arrested by operatives of Kano State Police Command for torturing an eight-year-old almajiri boy, Muhammad Garba, leaving several wounds on his body.
Muhammad was picked up in his hideout at Toro Local Government Area, Bauchi State, though residing at Garbi Quarters, Nguru Local Government Area, Yobe State where the offence was committed.
In his confirmation of the arrest, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa in a statement on Friday, April 8, 2022, said that before the arrest, a report had been received on Tuesday, March 29 at about 2pm from the Managing Director, Kano State Agency for Evacuation and Repatriation of Beggars, that on the previous day, one Mallam Usaini Uba brought the victim who was found roaming around a culvert, near Kofar Mata Quarters Kano, to the agency.
The boy was said to have been found with marks all over his body resulting from suspected severe torture.
This reportedly made the state Commissioner of Police, Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, to direct a team of detectives, led by SP Umar Sa’id Abdullahi, to carry out an comprehensive investigation.
The victim was also taken to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, where he was treated and discharged.
The PPRO said that the team started work immediately and in their preliminary investigation, the victim gave his background, saying that he hailed from Nguru, Yobe State, but escaped to Kano by train as a result of severe beatings by his Almajiri School teacher.
A follow-up to the revelation by the victim led to the arrest of the 24-year-old teacher, Kiyawa stated.
When interrogated, the suspect confessed to the crime, disclosing that he used a cable wire to beat the victim on several occasions after removing his shirt.
He further revealed that the child was brought to him by his grandmother, one Talle Muhammad, aged 65.
She was subsequently arrested, while the boy’s father was also picked up.
SP Kiyawa said that the suspects would be charged to court after completion of the investigation.
He reiterated the warning of the Commissioner of Police that criminals would not be allowed to hide in the state, saying that they should either repent or leave the state.
