Bauchi SSG, chief of staff absent at Reps hearing on police intimidation
The Secretary to the Bauchi State Government (SSG), Bello Shehu Ilelah, and the Chief of Staff to the governor, Arc. Abdu Sule Katagum, were absent at the hearing of a House of Representatives panel investigating allegations of police intimidation and harassment in the state.
The ad hoc panel probing alleged harassment and intimidation of a former governor of the state, Malam Isa Yuguda and others had last week invited Ilelah and Katagum, after their names were mentioned by some of the complainants.
The committee said it sent written invitations, which the lawmakers said were duly delivered and received. Also invited last week were the special adviser on political matters and special adviser on students’ affairs to the governor. However, none of the invited officials showed up at the hearing even as they did not send any representative.
The chairman of the committee, Rep Gabriel Onyewife (APGA, Anambra), said since they failed to appear for fair hearing, the committee will summon them once again and that if they did not honour the summon, it would take appropriate action.
In his presentation before the committee, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Zaki, denied intimidating and harassing the petitioners, including Yuguda.
He said after receiving Yuguda’s notification to visit the state last November, the police prepared to deploy their men for his coming, but that few days to the visit, there were intelligence reports that there might be a breakdown of law and order, hence they advised the former governor to shelve the visit.
However, he said Yuguda insisted on going to Bauchi and the police deployed over 400 personnel to protect him and other persons during the visit.
Prior to the day of the visit, the police commissioner said several associates of Yuguda wrote to the police, alleging plans by the state government to make the visit unsuccessful or impossible, and called for prompt action from the police.
He said on the day of the visit, the police intercepted over 300 persons on motorbikes heading to Yuguda’s house to cause trouble and that four persons were arrested and charged to court.
He also dismissed allegations by Malam Yakubu Jibrin of Bauchi Coalition Against Financial Crimes; a former commissioner in the present administration, Shehu Barau Ningi and president of the National Union of Bauchi State Students, Nasiru Nuhu Chigari, among others.
But members of the committee grilled him for some minutes after the presentation, with some of them disbelieving his submission.
The committee subsequently adjourned the sitting to February 16 and cautioned the CP not to harass anybody based on the accounts they presented before the committee against him.