Group petitions Police over alleged killings by an officer

A Human Rights activist and the President of Progressive Mind for Development Initiative (PMDI), Comrade Abubakar Abdulsalam, has threatened to petition the Inspector General of Police, should the Adamawa Command, failed to handle properly the alleged case of homicide against Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hassan Usman Dass.

Comrade Abubakar, in the petition, accused ASP Dass of summarily executing 11 young men in 2016 and 2017, when he was serving as the Divisional Police Officer, Kiri, Shelleng Local Government of Adamawa State. He gave some of the names of the victims as Buba Grema, Musa Bakari, Jauro Henpeto and Yusuf.

This, he continued happened at about 02:00 hrs on 30 April 2017, “when he murdered them in cold blood by shooting at them.”

On 23 November 2017, Hassan Dass on his way to Madagali LGA on the pretext of fighting insurgency at about 03:00 hours dispatched another set of seven young men from Gombi LGA to their early graves.

It was not his area of jurisdiction.

“We deem it very important to formally intimate you of the inhuman act of this unprofessional police officer as he had violated section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, which provides for the right to life for any citizen of Nigeria.”

Also he reminded the Nigerian police of their responsibility to safe guard the fundamental human rights of its citizens and if the heinous killings are not checked it will continue to spread like a wild fire, and the country will become unsafe for its citizens.

“Any failure on the part of the Nigerian police force to investigate and prosecute this case, we as an organisation will be compelled to take appropriate steps within the confines of the law to handle this case against the ASP in question and the Nigerian Police force.”

Furthermore, he said that ASP Hassan Dass is moving about freely. He was hurriedly transferred to the State Command Headquarters in Yola.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that Hassan with force number 145555 was later promoted and was made Officer in-Charge of Safer Highways.

When contacted, the State Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Othman Abubakar, denied that Hassan Dass is roaming about freely. “He is under arrest and the Command is investigating the matter.”

By Tom Garba, Yola