The Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) in Nigeria are facing calls to intervene in the case of Buba Mohammed, who has been detained by the police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja since March 17.
According to a petition filed by Mohammed’s lawyer, Mike Kebonkwu, Mohammed was arrested and detained in lieu of his elder brother over a dispute regarding the ownership of a fish pond in their village of Girim, Bussri Local Government, Yobe State.
Kebonkwu stated that Mohammed, a farmer and fisherman from a remote village, was arrested on March 17 at the orders of ACP Adamu S. Muazu and has been held at the IRT facilities in Abuja without a court order or any formal charges.
“The arrest and detention of our client were over a civil transaction in a feud over ownership of a Fish pond belonging to our client’s family,” Kebonkwu said. He added that the matter was already before a court in Gashua, Yobe State.
Kebonkwu alleges that Mohammed has been denied bail and that police officers are insisting on detaining him until his elder brother is arrested, which he argues is unlawful.
He further stated that Mohammed has filed a lawsuit to enforce his fundamental rights against unlawful detention, but the police have refused to appear in court or release him, despite being served with court processes and notices. Kebonkwu also emphasized that the police were aware of the ongoing court case in Yobe State related to the same incident.
