The Nigerian Army
By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
Members of Bundigari community in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital on Sunday accused the army of extra-judicial killing of one of their own, 26-year-old Ibrahim Bala, who was arrested after a raid within the community.
A member of the community, Ali Useni, who spoke to journalists in Damaturu on behalf of the community, said Ibrahim was brutalised by the military and could not make it to the hospital after he was released to them.
He alleged that: “The military after serious torture of Ibrahim and the other six people that were arrested called us and handed them over to us but the torture on Ibrahim by the military was too much that he died before we could get him to the Gen. Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital.”
The spokesman of the 27 Task Force Brigade Damaturu, Lt. George Okupe, who responded to the accusation, said the deceased and the others were arrested because were curfew breakers.
He also denied knowledge that one of the suspects was dead.
“As far as I know, those arrested were curfew breakers but I don’t have knowledge that one of the people died because the information I got was that those boys were released this morning and none was reported to have died,” Okupe said.
Okupe said based on the accusation, the commander of the 27 Task Force Brigade has set-up an investigation team to look into the matter.
The military recently issued a warning to residents of Damaturu who were flaunting the curfew orders in the state which normally starts from 10p.m. to 6p.m. to desist.
The army in the fresh warning, said anyone caught flaunting the orders would be dealt with.
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