ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
The family of Dauda Danladi, the 33-year old man who was allegedly arrested and tortured to death by a team of policemen from the Yelwa Division, and a vigilante group, has written to the police demanding for the release of their relative’s corpse to enable them carryout an independent autopsy.
Recall that the deceased, Danladi, was reportedly arrested by the team of security agents in front of his shop located in Yelwa Tsakani, a sub-urb of Bauchi metropolis at about 9pm on Thursday and was taken to the Yelwa Division, where he was allegedly tortured to death.
The police, in a statement made available by its Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, claimed that they received a distress call about a person who had slumped and was gasping for breath reasonably suspected to have an asthmatic attack.
He said that a patrol team quickly evacuated him to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) for medical attention where he was unfortunately certified dead by a medical doctor.
But the family insisted that there brother all his life until death has never been asthmatic.
A cousin of the deceased, Zainab Sani, said she and Danladi lived in the same house for over 30 years, and “he has never been asthmatic at any time.”
Danladi’s family through their counsel, Shipi Rabo and Associates, in a letter addressed to the Commissioner of police, Bauchi State Command, which was obtained by our correspondent demanded the police to release the corpse in their custody for an independent autopsy within 24 hours.
The letter which was dated July 11th was tilted: “A formal request to allow the family of late Dauda Danladi, to conduct an independent autopsy on the body of the deceased who died in your custody on the night of 9th July, 2021 and whose body is still in your custody,” was signed by Shipi Rabo, A. Alkali, N. Z. Bayero, and A. A. Hassan.
The letter was also copied to the Bauchi State Director of the Department of State Service, the Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, the Divisional Police Officer, Yelwa Division and the Bauchi Local Government Department of State Service.
According to the letter, they are demanding the police to release the corpse within 24 hours from the receipt of the letter, for the conduct of the autopsy and subsequent burial.
“We are retained as solicitors to the family of late Dauda Danladi (Hereinafter referred to as our Client) on whose express instruction we write this letter.
“It is the brief of our client that we should write to formally demand that you grant them access to conduct an independent autopsy on the body of their late son, Dauda Danladi, who died in your custody on the night of 9th July, 2021 and whose body is still in your custody”.
“We also demand that the body of deceased be handed over to our client after the autopsy for a befitting burial”.
“Considering the fact that our client intent to bury the deceased within a short time to reduce their grieve, we advise that you reply us either in written or by phone call on the above demands within 24 hours,” the letter read in parts.
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