From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina
The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Katsina Branch, Barrister Murtala Kassim has disclosed that members of the association had resolved not to attend court sessions yesterday, in protest over alleged battering of their member by the Divisional Police Officer of Sabon-Garin Katsina police command.
Addressing a press conference, yesterday in Katsina, the chairman alleged that when on the 27th March 2014 their member, Barrister Basil Essien visited the Sabon Gari police station to bail his client, the DPO Superintendent Aduroja Moses and his DCO Jaye M. Dadiya ordered the physical assault of the lawyer.
The chairman further disclosed that when their member reached the police station and demanded to see his client, the DPO shouted on him to leave the premises of the police station, adding that while leaving the DPO ordered his arrest and eventual beating.
He said ‘the lawyer was beaten blue black by the DPO’s lieutenants, he was taken to the DPO’s office where he was given another round of beating. As a result our member was seriously injured in his left eye. In fact the eye would be operated to correct the injured eye’.
According to him, the victim who was arrested with N30, 000 in his pocket later uncovered that he was left with only N11, 000, alleging that the remaining money were stolen by the police during his assault by the police.
Kassim alleged that when he went to the police station to intervene the DPO allegedly told him that there was nothing that they could do to him as he was Obasanjo’s Boys and has the backing of the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, a former IG and a Katsina based businessman, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal.
He vowed that this is the first step they are taking in their effort to ensure that their members gets justice, disclosing that they have written to the police commissioner, the state attorney- general and commissioner of justice over the issue.
When contacted the Katsina Police Command Spokesman, DSP Aminu Abubakar Saddiq alleged that the lawyer slap the DCO and abused the DPO when he visited the police station, disclosing that the commissioner of police, Muhammad Hurdi has intervene to address the issue.
