The family of the inmate allegedly tortured to death at the Abuja Rehabilitation Centre located at the Kuchiko community in Bwari Area Council in the FCT said the deceased was arrested at Kampala Street in Wuse 2, Abuja, where he was frying yam.
His brother, Umaru Bichi, told City & Crime that he was buried on Saturday in Sabon-Wuse town, in Tafa LGA of Niger State.
City & Crime had reported last Thursday how the deceased, Nazifi Sani, lost his life while attempting to escape from the centre along with three others.
Sources in the community alleged that the deceased was arrested and reportedly beaten to death, with his corpse dumped around a nearby stream.
The sources added that one of the escaping inmates was taken back into the custody, while the remaining two escaped.
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Speaking to City & Crime on the incident, his brother, Umaru Bichi, said his late brother was arrested about some days ago from Kampala Street in Wuse 2 in Abuja where he was frying yam and chicken for business.
He said, “At first, we went to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board’s office, at Garki Area 3, and later to the FCT Social Development Secretariat at Area 10, all in the city centre, seeking his bail unsuccessfully.
‘’We proceeded to the rehabilitation centre, but we were asked to come back. However, when we returned, they only told us that he had escaped, and gave us his mobile phone.
‘’It was in the community that we learnt that he was tortured to death while attempting to escape.’’
Umar Bichi said the family had left everything to God, as according to him they couldn’t afford to confront the authority.
But reacting, the principal of the Rehabilitation Centre, Bala Tsoho Musa, said the deceased lost his life outside the centre following his escape, not within the centre as alleged.
He said, “He was brought into the centre along with about 70 others. They were profiled and taken into custody accordingly.
‘’I was so curious and interested about his case in particular because he was not supposed to be here in the first place. It was on Friday around 10:30 am that I learnt about the fleeing incident of the inmates, and he was the first person to flee the centre as I was told.’’
The principal said it was later found out that he was found dead after his guardian had accessed his remains in the hospital.
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