Outrage In Borno As DPO Allegedly Shoots 15-Year-Old Dead During Maulid, Lawyers Petition IGP
There is an outrage in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, following the alleged killing of a 15-year-old boy, Umar Muhammad, popularly known as Gajiye, by a Divisional Police Officer.
The officer, identified as SP Abba Ibrahim, also referred to as SP Abba Muhammed, is alleged to have shot the teenager dead during a Maulid gathering in Banki.
According to community reports, the DPO had earlier complained that the sound from the Maulid gathering was disturbing him at his office. After the organisers reportedly removed the loudspeakers in compliance, the DPO allegedly returned with armed officers in multiple vehicles, disrupted the gathering and opened fire, leading to the death of the young boy.
Umar, described as a vulnerable child from an economically disadvantaged family who was studying Qur’anic recitation under his Mallam, had no privilege or influential connections to speak for him.
Residents have expressed concern that despite the gravity of the incident, no meaningful disciplinary action has been taken against the officer, beyond his reported transfer to another duty station by the Commissioner of Police.
The development has raised serious questions about police accountability, professional conduct, and the protection of innocent lives, with community members insisting that a transfer cannot substitute for a thorough investigation or appropriate disciplinary and legal action where wrongdoing is established.
Lawyers Petition IGP, Demand Probe
In a related development, a group of lawyers, human rights activists and concerned citizens has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, over the alleged unlawful killing, police misconduct and threats to life.
In the petition signed by Hamza N. Dantani and addressed to the IGP, with copies to the Chairman, Police Service Commission and the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, the petitioners described the incident as a disturbing reality of unprofessionalism among some police officers.
The petition reads in part: “We write as lawyers, human rights activists, and concerned patriotic citizens committed to justice, fairness, the protection of fundamental human rights, and the rule of law.”
“According to reports, the DPO allegedly complained that the sound from a Maulid gathering in Banki was disturbing him at his office. Despite the organisers reportedly removing the loudspeakers, he allegedly returned with armed officers, disrupted the gathering, and opened fire, resulting in the death of the young boy.”
The lawyers said they were deeply concerned by reports that the officer was merely transferred without any publicly established outcome of a thorough investigation, and also called for investigation into alleged threats to life associated with the matter.
They noted that the incident raises serious concerns regarding the right to life under Section 33(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), police professionalism, the lawful use of firearms, and accountability.
The petitioners therefore requested the IGP to:
1. Order an independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Umar Muhammad.
2. Investigate SP Abba Muhammed and all other officers involved, and ensure that any officer found culpable faces appropriate disciplinary and legal consequences.
3. Ensure the protection of witnesses and investigate any credible threats to life.
4. Ensure that the bereaved family receives appropriate redress and compensation where liability is established.
5. Provide information on the outcome of the investigation and measures taken to ensure accountability.
“We emphasise that the life of a child is invaluable, irrespective of his family’s financial or social status. A police uniform must never be a shield against accountability, and administrative transfer alone cannot substitute for justice where serious wrongdoing is established,” the petition added.
They urged the police authorities to treat the petition with urgency.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Borno State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time, while calls to the Command were not responded to.
The petitioners, however, insist that Umar Muhammad deserves justice, his family deserves answers, and the public deserves a police force that protects lives rather than abuses authority entrusted to it.
