Residents of Jama’are town, particularly parents of Rabi (not her real name), a six-year-old girl whose private part was mutilated by suspected criminals, were thrown into shock and fear as the incident exposes the level of violent crime in Bauchi State.
At about 3pm on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at Kasuwan Shanu, Unguwar Zango, Rabi was sent on an errand in the neighbourhood when two suspected criminals accosted her.
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They told her to go into the house and call Maryam, knowing full well that there was nobody like that there.
When she came back to inform them that there was no Maryam in that house, they forcefully took her to a nearby uncompleted building, tied her up and mutilated her private part.
Narrating the incident, Bello Mallam Abba Jama’are, a school headmaster and father of the six-year-old girl said, “I was in the farm when one of my younger sisters came running and told me what happened.
She said, “Some evil-minded people forcefully took my daughter, and cut off her private part.
They almost killed her in the process, but God has not destined her death through the incident.
“I took her and her younger brother to stay with my elder sister after her mother and I divorced.
“The Fulani have that practice of taking our children to a relative to train.
“Fortunately, she remained conscious in spite of the pains and was able to run home, which is about 30 meters away from the scene of the crime.
“Unfortunately for her attackers, some boys saw them.
“We rushed to the local government secretariat, but the police in Jama’are had already gone.
“We told our local government chairman, who said it was a big case and promised to take it to the state government.
“I also informed the state women’s leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is from Jama’are; her house is not far from mine.
“She said our local government chairman was already in Bauchi, and urged us to be calm because the state government would ensure that we got justice.
“I want to thank the Bauchi State Government because it has taken necessary measures and steps to ensure that we get justice, only God will reward them.’’
Jama’are further said, “For two days I couldn’t sleep.
“We rushed her to the general hospital here in Jama’are immediately, but the nurses said the case was beyond them.
“However, they did their best to stabilise her and referred us to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Azare.
“When we got there, the doctors also did their best to treat her.
“The woman leader and our local government chairman also came to the FMC.
“Up to this moment, I don’t feel fine in my heart when I remember what they did to my daughter.’’
He said the prompt response of the local and state governments gave the family a big relief.
“We are grateful to Governor Bala Mohammed.
“I pray that Allah would reward him.
“It was when this terrible incident happened to us that we understood that what people are saying about him is the direct opposite.
“I was told that these boys are from Jama’are, but honestly, I don’t know anyone of them. Some people said they knew their parents.
“I learnt that they live on the other side of the town, by the by-pass, but we stay inside the town.
“We are happy that the government is interested in the matter and we know that we will get justice.
“We will not take any action against them because the police and the government are involved in the case.
“The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) here did all he could to prevent any reprisal attack and the people gave him cooperation.
“We will continue to cooperate with the authorities to ensure that justice is done in the case.
“However, we have decided to wait and see what the police at the Jama’are division will do.
“If they try anything funny or dubious on the matter, we will take action because we have a large family.
“We are over 300, and we have 10 different houses. We cannot allow the case to go like a child’s play,’’ he added.
On the condition of his daughter in the hospital, Jama’are said, “She is getting better. My younger brother who is in the hospital with her sent me her picture through WhatsApp and I saw that she has been dressed.
“They even told me that her surgery would soon be done.
“In fact, I spoke with her, which has further calmed me down. I know that, insha Allahu, she will get better.”
He also appealed to the state government to provide means of livelihood to the many unemployed youths so as to tackle the increase in crime in the state.
Giving her own account of the incident, the victim’s foster mother and Jama’are’s sister, Maryam Mohammed said, “I was sick and not at home.
“We have another brother whose house is not far from here.
“He is married, so she had gone to the house to bring a child to our own house when the incident happened.
“We have never witnessed or heard this kind of terrible thing in this community before.’’
She said they were planning to enroll her in school this year, and pleaded that the girl would get justice and the culprits prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.
Speaking with newsmen at the police headquarters in Bauchi, one of the suspects who was arrested, a 20-year-old Adamu Abdul Ra’uf of Gandu area in Jama’are town and an apprentice mechanic said, “I and my friend took her to where her private part was removed, on the instruction of one native doctor (ritual killer), who said he would use it to make money for my friend.
“But I told him that I was not interested.
“When I told IB about it, he insisted that I should take part in it, but I refused. He said he would assist me with charms that would protect me.
“My friend warned that he would kill me if I told anybody about what happened. I really regret my action.’’
When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State command, DSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, said the case was under investigation.
He, however, said the command had arrested a fleeing suspect, a 19-year-old Abdukadir Wada Haladu, who allegedly mutilated the genital of the girl.
Disclosing this in a statement yesterday in Bauchi, Wakil said the suspect was arrested following a manhunt by the command.
“Abdulkadir Wada Haladu of the Chikamidari area of Jama’are has been arrested, and he voluntarily confessed to the crime,” he said.
He noted that the command would continue to unveil the details of the investigation as they unfold.
On the recent increase in crimes in Bauchi State, he said the command had arrested a total of 2,682 suspects in connection with various crimes in 2020, with rape having the highest number, followed by culpable homicide.
He revealed that during the period, the command recovered arms, which included 43 AK rifles, 28 dane guns, 3 SMG rifles, one Scorpion rifle, 3 pump action guns, 4 double barrel guns, one locally made gun, one locally made AK-47, six locally made single barrel guns, and 4 revolver pistol, among others.
Also recovered, according to Wakil, are 46, 056 different types of live ammunitions, 18 different vehicles, 16 different motorcycles, 201 cows, 24 sheep, 18 goats, as well as N2,590,000 cash, $US1,000 suspected to be fake currencies.
The command also recovered 117 cutlasses, 7 sticks, 3 bows, 8 knives, 5 master-keys and 2 Hilux keys, 16 handsets, 25 wrappers, 33 native caps, 3 laptops, jewelery and rings, as well as 9 ATM cards of various banks, 20 sim cards and some fabricated bullets, among others.
