CSP Danzomo’s Abuse of Office: Open Letter to Kano Police Commissioner -By Abdu Abdullahi

Sir, a conflict involving two neighbouring families ensued on Monday night,25 July 2022 around ten o’clock culminating in the aggressive beating of an innocent girl at the Bubbugaje area, Kumbotso Local Government of Kano state.

The cause of the civil disturbance was a strife on the construction of a befitting drainage to allow free flow of water to the main road. The parties involved were Danladi and Baffa. While the latter was away on the day of the unfortunate incident, a situation that left his family vulnerable and needed protection, but the latter seized the opportunity to lauch assault against Danladi’s daughter Karimatu with a strong belt that left clearly visible scars on her body. Astonishly, some neighbors watched the calculated persecution without intervening as they were loyal to Baffa because of his being a member of the local vigilante security outfit. Agonised by this blatant maltreatment, Danladi’s wife sought for justice by reporting the case to the Kumbotso divisional police station.

Prior to the conflict, Baffa had agreed to make an extension of the construction of the drainage to pass through his residence, but his violation of the concord has put Danladi’s house at a conspicious disadvantage as the well in his house is very adjacent to the wall that stands between the well and the stagnant water in the channel which has infiltrated the well thereby contaminating and making it hazardous for human consumption and his family, up to now, has to rely on a neighboring house for fetching water daily for domestic use. The bone of contention was that at the point where the drainage was discontinued, there was complete blockage at Baffa’s house frontage.

On Tuesday 26 of July, Danladi arrived Kano and headed to the Kumbotso divisional police office for the continuation of the case. All statements by his wife and daughter had clearly indicted Baffa for committing the assault which attracted imprisonment. Among the forms of evidence tendered were the belt he used and the scars that were still visible on the body of Karimatu. The officer who compiled the statements was one Shettima.

Meanwhile, the complainants and the accused, his wife and mother-in-law were taken to the office of the DPO, CSP Danzomo. Danladi and his family were expecting that the DPO would consolidate on the earlier report recorded by Shettima. After fielding some few questions to Danladi by the DPO, anticipating that he would use his office, rank and uniform to ensure justice was dispensed in accordance with the constituted laws that recognize all persons as equal, Danzomo decided to smear the image of the police. Surprisingly, he blasted Danladi for the occurrence of the incident even though he was not in the town when the sad episode occurred. One would wonder what logic compelled the DPO to be terribly impartial.

Not only that, CSP Danzomo mustered abusive language against Danladi while the accused person, his wife, mother-in-law were watching with satisfaction. His questionable deeds and actions were manouvered to intimidate Danladi and deter him from taking court action for possible prosecution of Baffa. Displaying a comic drama that further ridiculed the police integrity, the DPO falsely accused Danladi for trespassing and ordered for his detention for about 15 minutes. Indeed, this was the worst part of embarrassing Danladi who had to undergo an illegal detention. His charge against trespassing was dubiously fabricated based on the fact that there was an earlier covenant between Danladi and Baffa to dig a temporary drainage before the constructed one and to this effect, Danladi employed the services of one Yusuf to do the digging.

Sir, the cogent contention was and is still that a DPO must play his own contribution to the growth of the general body of the Nigeria Police Force and this should be done through intentional actions which should be beneficial to the residents. We know that the four primary roles of the police are enforcing the law, preventing crime, providing emergency response as well as providing support and service. Regrettably, CSP Danzomo in this case did not support the law that would indict Baffa for committing assault. He refused to provide the support and service for ensuring that Karimatu’s beating should not go in vain and for which he is paid from the public treasury.

The fundamental questions here are, what compelled CSP Danzomo to turn the table for substituting justice with injustice? On what jurisdiction would Danzomo accused Danladi for aiding the disturbance which occured during his absence? What kind of law provided that an innocent and law-abiding citizen should be illegally detained? If Danzomo was not terribly impartial in that case, he would have proportionally boosted his image and that of the force.

Sir, one would be astonished as to why the bearer of a respected and public office which symbolises justice, law and order, fairness, confidence would descend so low to abuse his office. The general contention by observers in the area who were fully aware of the conflict was that he must have collected some gratifications to forfeit his honor. However, we have seen the great example of CSP Daniel Itse Amah, who rejected 200,000 dollars to drop a robbery case. This was how the officer gallantly and unprecedentedly improved the image of the force. By blackmailing Danladi for trespassing, the DPO called for a reconciliation and that was how the accused was saved from the wrath of the law aided by CSP Danzomo.

Sir, the sincere motive of this memo is to bring to your attention the need to get CSP Danzomo do the needful at all times even if the situation is unfavorable to him and save the force from great shame.