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The Yobe Police Command has denied a report on an online media platform alleging that two of its personnel were involved in the Potiskum robbery.
In a statement by the command’s spokesman, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, in Damaturu on Friday, the command also denied shielding the accused policemen and disrupting court proceedings.
He described the report published on November 7, with the title “Police Disrupt Court Proceedings, Take Out Colleagues Accused of Robbery in Yobe,” as “misleading and malicious.”
“No police personnel invaded any magistrate’s court to free arraigned accused individuals.
“We have no record of robbery incidents involving police personnel in Potiskum or any local government area in the state.
“To set the records straight, on February 23, at 1630hrs, an accident occurred at Zangon Alhazai area of Potiskum, involving a truck and a motorcycle.
“ASC Abubakar Umar of the Nigerian Correctional Service solicited bail for the driver, which was granted.
“However, the police refused to release the vehicle as the victim was still receiving treatment, while still investigating reckless and dangerous driving.
“This led to a fracas, resulting in Umar’s arrest for obstruction,” Abdulkarim said.
The Area Commander, exercising procedural diligence, directed the personnel to return to the station as the case involved the enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights, a high-calibre matter beyond the magistrate’s jurisdiction.
“At no point did police personnel invade the court or forcibly retrieve colleagues,” he said.
He urged the newspaper in question to retract the report immediately and tender an unreserved apology to the command or face legal action.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had earlier requested the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Ahmed, to investigate and prosecute the area commander.
Its chairperson, Mrs. Altine Ibrahim, told NAN that the union also demanded that the police obey the court order and return the personnel in question to the Medium Correctional Centre, Potiskum.
She described the police’s action as an “unacceptable invasion of the court,” saying that “nobody is above the law.”
