The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has directed the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) to investigate allegations that officers of the Nigeria Police Force unlawfully handed over a woman to an angry mob that lynched her in Maraban Jos, Kaduna State.
The directive followed a petition submitted by human rights activist and lawyer, Hamza Dantani, who called for an “immediate, independent and thorough investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the death of the woman, identified as Ummulkhair Muhammad.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mrs Muhammad, an Islamic teacher, was lynched in Mararaban Jos, a community along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, after being falsely accused of attempting to kidnap children, an allegation Amnesty International described as a growing violence “becoming the norm nationwide.”
Before she was killed, Mrs Muhammad was reportedly taken to a police division in the community where a mob demanded that she be handed over to them.
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The deceased’s husband , Aliyu Muhammad, in an interview with BBC Hausa, alleged that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) handed his wife to the mob who killed her.
Amnesty added that if the police involved is confirmed, it would amount to a “clear indication of the failure of law enforcement.”
In a letter dated 23 June and signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, Lateef Ahmed, the police headquarters acknowledged receipt of the petition and confirmed that the matter had been referred for investigation.
“I write to inform you that the Inspector-General of Police has directed the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department to attend your matter,” the letter addressed to Mr Dantani stated.
The petition
Mr Dantani in his petition, dated 22 June, argued that the public allegations made by the deceased’s husband and another woman suggested that the deceased was alive while in police custody and that the DPO of Maraban Jos Division personally took custody of her before she was allegedly handed over to the mob.
The petition alleged that the mob subsequently attacked, lynched and set her body ablaze.
Mr Dantani said if established, the allegations would amount to a serious violation of the constitutional and statutory duties of the police to protect lives and uphold the rights of persons in custody.
He cited Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee the rights to life and dignity of the human person, as well as provisions of the Police Act, 2020, which require police officers to protect lives, preserve law and order and safeguard fundamental rights.
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The petitioner also referenced judicial authorities, including Nasiru Bello v. Attorney-General of Oyo State and Fawehinmi v. Abacha, alongside provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arguing that every suspect is entitled to due process regardless of the allegations against them.
He alleged that the incident could disclose possible offences including conspiracy, aiding and abetting mob action, criminal negligence, abuse of office, dereliction of duty, obstruction of justice and unlawful deprivation of life, if the allegations are substantiated.
The petition urged the IGP to order an impartial and transparent investigation, ensure that all officers on duty at the time, including the DPO, provide statements, preserve all relevant station records and electronic evidence, protect witnesses from intimidation and make the outcome of the investigation public.
Mr Dantani also called for the prosecution of any officer or individual found culpable.
According to him, the matter extends beyond the death of one individual and raises broader concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, the constitutional duty of the police to protect lives and the principle that no citizen should be deprived of life without due process.
The police have yet to publicly comment on the substance of the allegations beyond confirming that the case has been referred to the FCID for investigation.
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