Memorandum On Police Extra-Judicial Killings In Katsina: The Truth And The Way Forward

By

Dr. Sadiq Isah Radda

Network for Justice

Flat

Being a Position Paper Submitted to the Judiacial Commission of Inquiry Constituted by the Katsina State Government at a Public Hearing in Katsina On Monday, 27-30 March, 2006

In Zaka Fadi, Fadi Gaskiya, Komi Taka Ja Maka Ka Biya, -Alhaji Ali Akilu

Conscience is an Open Wound that Only Truth can Heal, -Othman Ibn Fodio

INTRODUCTION

We in the Network for Justice believe that historically and today justice is central to governance. Ibn Khaldun, the 15th Century philosopher of history, argued that any government that failed to uphold justice has also failed to justify its existence. He said that any government that violates the rights of its people through confiscation of people's property, physical attacks, arrests and tortures should await its fall. He says, "If hostile acts are extended to the property, the wives, the lives, the skins, and the honour of people, it will lead to sudden disintegration and decay and the quick disintegration of the dynasty." lbn Khaldun is suggesting that political instability is directly related to the level of injustice in the-society and the violation of the rights of people coupled with poor economy and foreign interference. According to Usman Dan Fodio, "…a nation can endure in unbelief, but not in injustice."

We in the Network for Justice feel proud that we are part of the progressive forces that mounted pressure on the authorities to institute a Judicial Commission of Inquiry regarding the unfortunate events of 18/2/2006. For the avoidance of doubt, our organization wrote several letters and petitions to that effect and the letters are hereby attached as appendices. Our organization also objected to the lopsided composition of the Commission in favour of one side: the government. Hence, I stand here before you with a lot of constraints believing that the Commission is poorly constituted. In fact we wrote an objection letter to the governor (see Appendix I). But my conscience will not be clear if I fail to appear here and present the case I have been pushing under the aegis of our organization, Network for Justice. The essence is to ensure that justice is done and recurrence avoided.

I have perused the terms of reference given to the Commission and there are two of them that are of interest to Network for Justice which are as follows:

1. To identify the remote and immediate causes of the disturbances, and recommend solutions.

2. To look into the circumstances surrounding the killing of two people and recommend solutions.

The above issues will be addressed and cogent recommendations offered. Accordingly, the presentation is divided into five main sections. The first section dwells on the remote causes of the peaceful demonstrations. The second section looks at the immediate causes of the peaceful demonstrations. The third section examines the extra-judicial killings by the police on that fateful day. The fourth section offers some recommendations. The fifth section is the concluding part of the presentation. Finally, I have attached relevant letters to serve as appendices.

THE REMOTE CAUSES OF THE DEMONSTRATION

If one is to honestly and sincerely analyze the remote causes of the demonstration, one has to go back to the past and link it with the political atmosphere of Katsina State. In 1999 the state got an elected governor and every one was happy. In fact it was a very promising government because the governor was very prudent. However, after two years the governor got derailed for reasons best known to him. Soon after, discontent and dissatisfaction set in. Things became more untidy and difficult for the government and the people as election year was approaching. To contain the situation, the government had to deploy even unwholesome tricks. Before anybody could discern what was happening, intolerance on the part of the governor and his cronies had set in.

Wherever you find an intolerant leader, he is bound to be dictatorial and tyrannical. A dictator is some one that passes command down the line and nobody dares him. He is the boss, the alpha and omega. For those that challenge (covert or overt) the dictator, they get tyrannized through various means especially with the aid of government overwhelming power and influence. This is what the Katsina State governor has turned himself into!! There was so much disenchantment among the general population and there was no corresponding effort by the government to give the people any breathing space.

Suddenly, the 2003 elections came; and it came with a very serious wind of quest for change. One the one hand we had a governor that wanted to sit tight and on the other we had voters seeking for change. It was this political atmosphere that unveiled itself in Katsina State and many other states culminating in an unprecedented electoral fraud never witnessed in the Nigeria’s history. Literally, the people of Katsina State were politically robbed, raped and eventually disenfranchised!!! Additionally, many of the people were brutalized, assaulted, insulted and even killed to see the current governor remain in office. The people voted something and got another thing all together. Naturally, there will be frustration.

Apart from the so-called 2003 elections, Katsina State conducted some bye-elections and a Local government election which were marred by the same or worse irregularities as the ones we saw in 2003. The result was the heightening of tension emanating from frustration. Being very weak and over-powered, the people of the state resigned to fate. However, their apathy was mistaken for cowardice by the governor and his cronies.

In addition to the political robbery and rape that the people witnessed, the government followed it up with reprisals. There were cases of victimization of civil servants and some communities perceived as unfriendly were denied government projects; and these communities were not offered the relief packages government initiated for the state. In essence, the government merely became a lubricant for those that are in the ruling party. Also, there is general dissatisfaction regarding the performance of the government in the face of huge revenues from the Federation Account. People simply complain of how some individuals and immediate members of family of the governor are making stupendous wealth amidst nagging poverty and misery. In summary, there is a very serious disconnection between the governor, the government and the people of the state. Therefore, one can give these political events, the unfairness and the inequity of the Katsina State government as the remote causes of the peoples’ peaceful revolt on that day.
 

IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF THE DEMONSTRATION    

The people of Katsina are 99.99% Muslims. The governor introduced the Shari’a legal system but refuse to implement its provisions. He is seen as Islamically very insensitive. Immorality and other vices against Islam are being perpetrated and he does not give a damn. It can be recalled that a European journalist in Denmark published blasphemous cartoons of the prophet (SAW) in a very demeaning manner. The governor did not come out to condemn it.

Relatedly, it is known to every one in Nigeria that Obasanjo is highly interested in having a third term in office. Obasanjo and Umar ‘Yar’adua share a few things in common: both are intolerant; dictatorial; and tyrannical. Furthermore, the two have under-achieved and are therefore a failure. Finally, the two do not know how they can manage their lives out of office having been unfair, unjust, insensitive and indifferent to the plight of the people they purport to rule.

Despite these shortcomings, these people want to change Nigeria’s Constitution to allow them remain in office. To achieve this selfish aim, a joint NASS Committee was formed and a sub-committee of the main Committee sent to the North-West to conduct public hearing on the matter. Hitherto, public hearings in the North-West were either conducted in Kaduna or Kano. But this is a very unpopular issue and the governors of Kaduna and Kano declined to host it; the governor of Katsina State decided to host the unpopular public hearing.

It was at this juncture that the people were pushed to the wall and refused to take it. So, one can identify three immediate cause of the fracas on that fateful day as follows:

1. The nonchalant attitude of the governor regarding the Denmark cartoons;

2. The insensitivity (or covert support) of the governor for his and Obasanjo’s third term agenda; and

3. The police poor and unprofessional handling of the crisis situation resulting in death and injuries which are the subjects of the next section.

THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE KILLING OF TWO PEOPLE

Our investigation revealed that some Muslim organizations came together and organized a preaching event during which they intended to address two serious matters, namely, the issue of Denmark cartoons and the public hearing on the proposed constitutional amendment. Reports showed that the organizations handled the occasion extremely well and decided to deliver their protest letter to the governor who refused to honour the invitation extended to him by the organizations. It should be noted that the peaceful demonstrators marched peacefully from Kofar Soro up to the round-about leading to the Government House; and at this juncture they were stopped by heavily armed mobile police. This is where the problem started. While the peaceful demonstrators selected five people to go and deliver the letter to the governor, the police insisted that they were to take the letter to the governor. After short exchange of words, the police threw tear gas and soon after live bullets were fired resulting in the death of two people. This is why we wrote a petition (see appendix II) because what the police did was extra-judicial killings.

In our view the following questions are still central and need to be answered:

1.      Why did the police bar the people from forwarding their letter to the governor?

2.      Did the governor say he was not willing to see the people?

3.      Did the police follow the ethics of their profession in dispersing demonstrators?

4.      Did the police caution and warn the demonstrators as provided for by the law?

5.      Were the demonstrators carrying any weapons?

6.      Why did the police carry heavy arms against defenceless civilians?

7.      Why did the police refuse to professionally use batons and hot water on the demonstrators?

8.      Why did the police carry live bullets instead of rubber bullets?

9.      Was there threat to the police’s lives and health to warrant using live bullets?

10.  Why did the police aim their victims on the head instead of legs, thigh or any other less delicate part f the body?

11.  Why did the police indiscriminately arrest and detain people

12.  Why did the police tear – gassed and molested innocent citizens

13.  Why did the police tear – gassed areas not affected by the so – called conflict.

14.  The police have been banned from carrying arms in controlling demonstrators, why did they do it in Katsina?

When I called on the Katsina State Commissioner of police to get answers to some of these questions, the situation degenerated into a grave misunderstanding and exchange of angry words between us. In fact he said he will not listen to me. Thus, I decided to write another protest letter to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone I, Kano (see Appendix III). Furthermore, I decided to share my bitter experience with the Katsina State Commissioner of police with the general public (local and international)l and to draw public attention to police misconduct in Katsina state (see Appendix IV). I am pretty sure that the Katsina State Commissioner of police had no plausible answers to the above and many more questions. Hence, he chose to be conflictual and evasive, and I refused to join him in the gutter. We believe that these questions are very germane and require reasonable answers. The police have committed murder similar to the one committed at Apo in Abuja and they must be made to account for their actions.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the interest of the Network for Justice, our recommendations are limited to the two issues we have concentrated on, namely, the remote and immediate causes of the problem and the police extra-judicial killings.

Recommendations on the Remote and Immediate Causes of the Problem

Remote Causes

To know the problem is half the solution. It is clear to the people of Katsina State that they are governed by people they did not elect. To add salt to injury, the so-called leaders are not performing. Hence, one can recommend that future elections should reflect the wishes of the people; and where politicians rig themselves into office, they must learn to be true servants of the people through meritorious performance. And they should learn to be fair and just in programme initiation and execution. Perceived enemies must not be deprived of government attention because they are indigenes of the state!!!

The governor must reconnect himself with the people by liberalizing such government agencies as the media, the bureaucracy, etc. He must learn to make a distinction between private property and government property. Furthermore, he must learn to be accommodating and tolerant; and he should drop his personal ambition for the collective good of our people. In addition, the governor must evolve a method of cleansing our polity of corruption, thuggery and general violence. He must change the psyche of his blind followers that to be in power is not akin to a warlord sharing war booty. Finally, we as a people must see power and wielding it as a means to an end and not an end in itself.

Immediate Causes

Available evidence points to the fact that the Katsina State governor does not harmoniously cohabitate with the people of the state. It can also be gleaned that the governor is insensitive to certain vital concerns of the people which border on religion, culture, morality, politics, etc. Again, I will urge the governor to reconnect himself with the people of the state. He must learn to be sensitive to people’s concerns; and he should learn to do it in time and openly.

Therefore, the governor must note that he himself, many of the people around him and Obasanjo enjoy serious negative image and publicity in the state and nationally. Thus, to contemplate a self-serving constitutional amendment indicates insensitivity and lack of connectivity with the general population. Therefore, the governor and his henchmen must drop the selfish agenda of manipulating the constitution.

Recommendations on the Police Extra-Judicial Killings

Clearly, the police exceeded their limits. Hence, we need to know who gave them order to shoot and kill innocent people. When these people are found they must be punished as stipulated by the law. Furthermore, those that did the actual shooting must be identified and punished as provided for by the law. To us this is clear case of murder and must be treated as such.

It is our view that the parents of the deceased deserve appropriate compensation. This compensation should never be mistaken for payment for the human lives lost. Therefore, the following victims’ parents must be compensated. They are:

1. Isyaku Ilu Barde

2. Inusa Shitu Batagarawa

3. Kabir Ibrahim who sustained serious injuries on the head and died on 11/3/2006.

One can say that the Nigeria Police Force is still unprofessional which explains its repressive and oppressive nature. Still, we have deadwoods in the Force. So, they require rigorous training and retraining; and part of the goal of the training should be to empower them to refuse to obey wrong commands and orders. Also, the word “FORCE” should be replaced with “SERVICE” to tamper with the police’s mindset that policing is all about use of force and violence.

Politicians must learn to respect themselves and be above board in their conducts so that they do not have to unwittingly rely on the police to manage their self-inflicted crises and counter crises. In this vein, the politicians should desist from using the police to share in their failures.

There is the need for extended and sustained programme to sensitize the general population concerning the police in society. People need to know that the police exist and works for them; and the police have limits imposed on them by the law. Also, the programme should familiarize members of the general public to the methods of seeking redress in the event of police misconduct. Members of the public should be sensitized to endure and persevere in seeking redress if they are wronged by the police.

CONCLUSION

There is no gainsaying that Nigeria is beset with numerous problems; and these problems are orchestrated by elite greed, injustice, unfairness and irresponsibility which results in serious frustration on the part of the general population. The people’s frustrations are often exhibited in demonstrations (both peaceful and violent). The demonstrations in Katsina were peaceful. However, the situation was poorly handled by the governor and the police resulting in deaths and injuries.

This submission examines the remote and immediate causes of the conflict, and the circumstances that resulted in the tragic deaths of two people. Our stand is that bad governance, injustice, unfairness, greed, elite ambition and general corruption in Katsina state and the insensitive and nonchalant attitude of the governor to the yearnings of his people can be considered as the remote and immediate causes of the demonstration. Regarding the deaths and injury of some people, the police acted unprofessionally and must be held to account for their actions.

APPENDIX I

3^rd March, 2006

Alhaji Umar Musa ‘Yar’Adua

The Governor,

Katsina State.

Sir,

RE: COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO POLICE EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN KATSINA: OUR OBJECTION

The above issue refers. It is heartwarming that a Committee has been set-up to investigate the 18^th February 2006 extra-judicial killings in Katsina. I hope the Committee will have the independence and capacity to unravel the truth. The victims of that cold-blooded murder need justice by bringing the perpetrators to book. However, it is our considered view that the constitution of the Committee leaves much to be desired. Specifically, our organization is unequivocally opposed to the inclusion of the Katsina State Commissioner of Police in the Committee. This is because he is one of the people to be investigated. For the avoidance of doubt, we have lodged a complaint against him on his poor handling of our petition on the extra-judicial killings to the AIG, Zone I; and we intend to pursue it to its logical conclusion. See copies of my letters to him and the AIG enclosed.

Therefore, the Katsina State Commissioner of Police cannot and should not be a judge and jury in his own cause. To include him in this Committee is analogous to willingly locking-up a house with a notorious thief!! Hence, if the intentions of the government are sincere and are intended to yield positive results, the Katsina State Commissioner of Police should be dropped from the Committee

Additionally, the Chairman of the Committee occupies many government positions rendering him incapable of independent action and neutrality. A perusal of the Committee’s membership indicates that it is populated by government functionaries exposing it to manipulation. Surprisingly, there is no single person representing the religious community.

While I await your swift positive action on this crucial matter, I remain yours in the determined search for justice in fovour of the victims of the dastardly extra-judicial killing on 18^th February 2006. Accept my best wishes. Yours Sincerely

APPENDIX II

The Commissioner of Police                                          21^st February 2006.

Katsina State.

Dear Sir,

RE: EXTRA – JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN STATE:

CALL FOR INVESTIGATION

The above issue refers. It is with sadness that I received the news of extra judicial killings by your men in Katsina during a peaceful demonstration on 19/02/2006.  The investigation I conducted shows that Isyaku Ilu Barde and one other person from Batagarawa were brutally murdered by the Police.

These citizens were killed despite the fact that they were law abiding and unarmed during the demonstration. It is my opinion that some questions have to be answered. The questions are why did the Police:

1.         Bear arms and live bullets during an orderly and legal demonstration

2.         Target their victims on the head

3.         Open fire on defenceless citizens

4.         Indiscriminately arrest and detain people

5.         Tear – gassed and molested innocent citizens

6.         Tear – gassed areas not affected by the so – called conflict.

The above questions and many more can best be answered through a Commission of Inquiry into the killings by the Police in Katsina.  In the name of Justice and fairness, urgent investigation is required and all culprits must be brought to justice. The Police is meant to serve and project the people. I want to see that done in Katsina State.

I remain yours in the struggle for justice and a better Nigeria.

Yours Sincerely,

cc:        1.         A. I. G.

                        Kano Zonal Command, Kano

            2.         The Director

                        State Security Services

                        Katsina State.

            3.         The NASS Committee on Human Right Violations

NASS Complex, Abuja.

4.                  The Secretary, Human rights Commission, Abuja

5.                  The Secretary, Ministry for  Police Affairs, Abuja

6.                  The Secretary, N.B.A. Katsina Chapter

7.                  The Secretary, Muslim Lawyers Forum

8.                  The Secretary, Civil Liberties Organization, Kaduna

9.                  The Secretary, Human Right Watch, Lagos.

APPENDIX III

1^st March, 2005

The A.I.G

Zone I,

Bayero University Road,

Kano

Dear Sir,

RE: EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS BY THE POLICE IN KATSINA

The above issue refers. You may recall that on Sunday, 18^th February, 2005 some people in Katsina organized a peaceful demonstration and wanted to deliver a letter to the governor. However, they were barred from delivering the letter resulting in instant misunderstanding between the police and the demonstrators.

It was at this juncture that the police used tear-gas and live bullets resulting in the death of two people. Our Organization became concerned and wrote a letter to the Katsina State Commissioner of Police protesting the extra-judicial killings (see a copy of our letter attached).

I strongly believe that the police did not follow the dictates of their duty in quelling peaceful demonstrations. The issues I raised in the letter attached are very germane. Hence, I strongly urge you to institute an Inquiry into these needless killings so that the culprits are brought to justice. Accordingly, three people have questions to answer. These are: the Katsina State Commissioner of Police; ACP Operations; and one Abu Ali who commanded the anti-riot police on that day.

Our organization and its lawyer visited the families of victims of these killings and our findings indicate that they are highly aggrieved. Furthermore, the people of the state are very displeased and desirous of justice on this matter. I sincerely hope you will use your good office to see that justice is done to the families of the deceased which will ensure that similar thing does not occur.

I chose to forward this complaint to you as the Katsina State Commissioner of Police said he was not willing to listen to me. I hope you will address this vital matter with all the strength in you. The value of justice cannot be quantified!!!

I remain yours in the struggle for justice for our people.

Yours Sincerely

APPENDIX IV

EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN KATSINA: MY ENCOUNTER WITH THE KATSINA STATE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE[1]

There is a so-called constitutional review being proposed by the current government. This attempt is greeted with numerous protests and objections. Hitherto, public hearings are usually held in Kaduna as the accepted base for the North West political Zone. This time around, the atmosphere in Kaduna became charged and very tense. Thus, the so-called hearing was moved to Katsina. This change came in its wake with peaceful demonstration. As a result of the peaceful demonstration we saw police brutality culminating into extra-judicial killings. The investigation I conducted under the aegis of the Network for Justice (a Human Rights Non-governmental Organization) showed that two people were brutally murdered by the police. As a responsible and reasonable organization we had no option but to lay a complaint with the Katsina State Commissioner of Police which we did promptly. However, my encounter with him left much to be desired to the extent that we had a major misunderstanding. His conclusion was that the letter I wrote seeking for investigation was irresponsible of me. But I told him that he is the most irresponsible, callous and insensitive State Commissioner of Police I have ever seen in my many years of search for justice and activism.

My intention in this piece is not only to share with the reader and the Civil Society community my bitter experience with the unprofessional conduct of the Katsina State Commissioner of Police but to call your attention to the extra-judicial killings that took place in Katsina on 18/2/2006. There are two ways through which the reader, the Civil Society Community and anybody interested can find out what actually happened on that fateful day. First, one can go on independent investigation. Second, one can read the letter I wrote to the Katsina State Commissioner of Police raising some substantive matters of concern. The letter reads:

The Commissioner of Police                                          21^st February 2006.

Katsina State.

Dear Sir,

RE: EXTRA – JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN STATE:

CALL FOR INVESTIGATION

The above issue refers. It is with sadness that I received the news of extra judicial killings by your men in Katsina during a peaceful demonstration on 19/02/2006.  The investigation I conducted shows that Isyaku Ilu Barde and one other person from Batagarawa were brutally murdered by the Police.

These citizens were killed despite the fact that they were law abiding and unarmed during the demonstration. It is my opinion that some questions have to be answered. The questions are why did the Police:

1.         Bear arms and live bullets during an orderly and legal demonstration

2.         Target their victims on the head

3.         Open fire on defenceless citizens

4.         Indiscriminately arrest and detain people

5.         Tear – gassed and molested innocent citizens

6.         Tear – gassed areas not affected by the so – called conflict.

The above questions and many more can best be answered through a Commission of Inquiry into the killings by the Police in Katsina.  In the name of Justice and fairness, urgent investigation is required and all culprits must be brought to justice. The Police is meant to serve and project the people. I want to see that done in Katsina State.

I remain yours in the struggle for justice and a better Nigeria.

Yours Sincerely,

cc:        1.         A. I. G.

                        Kano Zonal Command, Kano

            2.         The Director

                        State Security Services

                        Katsina State.

            3.         The NASS Committee on Human Right Violations

NASS Complex, Abuja.

10.              The Secretary, Human rights Commission, Abuja

11.              The Secretary, Ministry for  Police Affairs, Abuja

12.              The Secretary, N.B.A. Katsina Chapter

13.              The Secretary, Muslim Lawyers Forum

14.              The Secretary, Civil Liberties Organization, Kaduna

15.              The Secretary, Human Right Watch, Lagos.

 I am pretty sure that my reader will agree with me that the police have some questions to answer regarding the very poor way they managed that peaceful and legal demonstration. For reasons best known to him, the Katsina State Commissioner of Police said he will not listen to me. I told him that he had to and if he refuses I am quite conversant with the channels for seeking redress against police misconduct. This is why on reaching Kano, the base of my the Network for Justice, I wrote a letter to the AIG, Zone I, calling for high-spirited intervention. The letter reads:

1^st March, 2005

The A.I.G

Zone I,

Bayero University Road,

Kano

Dear Sir,

RE: EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS BY THE POLICE IN KATSINA

The above issue refers. You may recall that on Sunday, 18^th February, 2005 some people in Katsina organized a peaceful demonstration and wanted to deliver a letter to the governor. However, they were barred from delivering the letter resulting in instant misunderstanding between the police and the demonstrators.

It was at this juncture that the police used tear-gas and live bullets resulting in the death of two people. Our Organization became concerned and wrote a letter to the Katsina State Commissioner of Police protesting the extra-judicial killings (see a copy of our letter attached).

I strongly believe that the police did not follow the dictates of their duty in quelling peaceful demonstrations. The issues I raised in the letter attached are very germane. Hence, I strongly urge you to institute an Inquiry into these needless killings so that the culprits are brought to justice. Accordingly, three people have questions to answer. These are: the Katsina State Commissioner of Police; ACP Operations; and one Abu Ali who commanded the anti-riot police on that day.

Our organization and its lawyer visited the families of victims of these killings and our findings indicate that they are highly aggrieved. Furthermore, the people of the state are very displeased and desirous of justice on this matter. I sincerely hope you will use your good office to see that justice is done to the families of the deceased which will ensure that similar thing does not occur.

I chose to forward this complaint to you as the Katsina State Commissioner of Police said he was not willing to listen to me. I hope you will address this vital matter with all the strength in you. The value of justice cannot be quantified!!!

I remain yours in the struggle for justice for our people.

Yours Sincerely

I am positive that you will agree with me that we have followed the right direction. However, Nigeria is at cross-roads owing to the numerous problems besetting it. Thus, what ought to be may differ from what is. The police keep telling Nigerians that they exist to serve them; but practical evidence points to the contrary. Their motto is “To Serve and Protect with Integrity.” The attitude of the Katsina State Commissioner of Police and his utterances betray this claim. Our lawyer once asked him why they brutalize indigenes of Katsina State as directed by the state government. His response was that “He who Pays the Piper Dictates the tune.” If truly the motto of the police is as above, then an unbecoming statement like the above will not be done.

I have a request to the reader and the civil society community to the effect that Katsina state government and its police apparatus should be put under their searchlights. For example, during the peaceful demonstration that resulted in the extra-judicial killings, unwarranted arrests were effected. When I visited the detainees it was a sorry sight. Not only were they detained in the most inhuman conditions, in the case of those detained in Sabon Gari police station, they were no even given the opportunity to say their five daily prayers. Sadly and tragically, close to 95% of these detainees were refused bail and were not taken to court as required by the law; even more sadly and tragically, overwhelming majority of these detainees are juveniles who are not supposed to be dealt with the way they were treated. Furthermore, the police decided to go crazy by moving into the town quite far away from the flashpoints of the so-called conflicts throwing tear gas to innocent souls. Even housewives were not spared. The so-called conflict occurred close to the government house. However, the police went as far away as Katsina motor park (at least six kilometers away from the flashpoint of the so-called conflict) tear-gassing the population. Essentially, this and other things were done by the police to effectively harass and intimidate the population against their determined opposition for Obasanjo’s third term bid. Finally, investigation has revealed the innocence of some of the people callously detained for five days!!! But they were not released for reasons best known to the police.

I hereby call the attention of everyone to our plight in Katsina State: two people have been extra-judicially killed by the police; 32 people have been detained for five days without charge; juveniles are being subjected to a criminal justice meant for adults; there is deep seated hostility between the general population and the police; and the people are ruled by a draconian governor. It is in the face of these and many more challenges that the police have taken the detainees to court and a hearing is slated for 16/3/2006. Our volunteer team of lawyers of the Na-Alhaji Chambers, spearheaded by Hon. Mamman Abubakar Danmusa, is standing in for the detainees. I call on everyone including foreign-based pro-rights civil society groups to join us in Katsina on this day so that we can collectively monitor what will unfold. I also call on stakeholders interested in promoting justice, fairness and human rights to commence independent investigation on the police misconduct on that fateful date so that those responsible for the extra-judicial killings can be held responsible for murder.