The arrest of Hamza Umar, 30, has been confirmed by the Bauchi State Police Command. He is accused of setting Hafsat Bala, a young girl, ablaze over alleged witchcraft.
Ahmed Wakil, the On June 21, 2023, gunmen kidnap the monarch and his wife in Kogi.state Police Public Relations Officer, issued a statement on Tuesday that confirmed the incident. In it, he said that the suspect claimed that the victim threatened to kill him and planted items believed to be diabolic charms at the victim’s home in the Rafin Albasa area of the state.
According to Wakil, Umar, 30, was taken into custody on charges of causing great bodily harm and attempting to commit culpable homicide in the state.
He stated, “The victim, Hafsat Bala, invaded his residence in the Rafin Albasa area of Bauchi and walked around the premises, according to the narration by the accused, Hamza Umar.” When he inquired about what brought her into his compound, she informed him that her older sister had sent her to kill him.
“She resisted the accused’s attempts to remove her from his compound, claiming that she had been asked to bury some charms at the corner of his house. She refused the suspect’s further request to remove the items she claimed to have buried in his compound. He then poured her kerosene and set her ablaze in his compound, claiming she was a witch, as he became enraged at this point.
“A team of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer rushed to the scene upon receiving the information and transported the victim to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, for immediate medical attention.”
Wakil said a prudent examination had been established to disentangle the specific conditions that prompted the episode, adding that toward the finish of the examination, the suspect would be charged.
He said, “Nobody has the right to treat a human being in such a barbaric manner, and it is wrong for anyone to assume the position of a law enforcement agency.” He was curious about why the suspect did not hand over the girl to the police or any other law enforcement agency for an investigation. No one has the right to treat a human being in such a barbaric manner.”
Similarly, Wakil stated that on June 16, 2023, at approximately 9.10 a.m., the police received a distress call from a good Samaritan at the Muda Lawal Market in Bauchi regarding an attempted theft of a Pontiac Vibe on the same day.
He claims that after receiving the report, a team of police detectives from Bauchi’s “C” Divisional Police Headquarters arrived at the location where Yusuf Muhammed, a 34-year-old from No. Along with a black Pontiac Vibe with the following number plate, 24-year-old Rijiyan Zaki of Kano State was taken into custody: chassis number AP-675-BAU, and 5428XL62884242598 is worth N1.5 million.
He stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect entered the vehicle after the car’s owner parked it and entered the market for his business.
“He started making attempts to disassemble the key sensor so he could ignite the car,” Wakil stated. The suspect voluntarily admitted to the crime during questioning, naming Mohammed Auwal, who is currently at large, as his accomplice.
The PPRO stated that while an investigation was ongoing, all efforts had been intensified to capture the fugitive criminal. Following the conclusion of the investigation, the suspect would be brought before a court for prosecution.
Abba Umar was appointed Director of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission. He was given the task of taking over as head of the anti-graft agency after Abdulrasheed Bawa, the chairman of the commission, was removed from his position. Since then, we’ve learned that Umar is no longer the agency’s Director of Operations, so he’s not the right person to take over as Acting Chairman of the EFCC. Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol is the agency’s Director of Operations and was given the task of succeeding Bawa as acting chairman. As a result, we apologize to the concerned officers for providing incorrect information.
