Exclusive: Ex- Bauchi State Commissioner intentionally killed my father – daughter

From David Kuvie Bauchi

Kadijat Babanta, 18 year old daughter of late Adamu Babanta has reacted to claim by the outgone Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Umar Sanda that the cause of her father’s death was accident.

Sanda claimed that Babanta actually died of Traumatic Spinal cord injury and multiple skeletal/soft tissue Trauma.

Speaking with Metoric Post correspondent in Bauchi on Tuesday, Kadijat maintained that the suspect Mohammad Damina, 65,who she claimed made sexual advances at her, intentionally killed her father for openly confronting him.

Kadijat said that her late father never called Damina a thief (barawo) in the heated argument that ensued when they met. 

She also said she never testified to the police that she was a witnessed to when her father called Damina a thief as claimed by the immediate past CP.

It will be recalled that the teenager reported Damina,  former Bauchi State commissioner for Information to her father that he (Damina) had made sexual advances to her.

Babanta, a retired staff of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, in company with his daughter, decided to approach Damina on October 30 after the former had arranged a rendezvous with the teenager.

Kadijat said they met Damina already sitting in his car at Yelwa Tudun market area  where they agreed to meet but he did not know that the young girl he invited had come with her father, his close friend.

Kadijat said her father asked  Damina, who hold the title of Galadiman Dass, why he betrayed their friendship and wanted to defile his daughter, to which she explained that the former commissioner remained mum. 

She said her father then summoned her to enter the car while he also attempted to enter because, according to Kadijat, he wanted all three to go to a person, probably a cleric or traditional ruler so the matter could be settled.

The daughter said before she could obey her father, Damina  who was all along sitting on the driver’s seat suddenly started his car and accelerated, speeding off and dragging  her father in the process.

However, Sanda  who gave different version of what transpired,  claimed the findings of the investigation by police, showed that Damina was also fleeing from the scene because the deceased raised an alarm by calling the suspect a thief.

Briefing journalists in his office on Monday, the embattled former Bauchi CP disclosed:

“Then her father now deceased went straight to the occupant of the vehicle (Mohammed Damina) and both of them started exchanging heated words to a point where the father now deceased started shouting “barawo-barawo” (thief-thief) this was confirmed by an eye witness; the daughter, her senior brother and the suspect. The repercussion of which is to attract mob action from bystanders and pessersby”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Kadija, who is still in trauma of watching her beloved father killed , said the account of the Commissioner of Police was not correct.

“When my father met him he was in his car on the driver seat and told him ‘what kind of betrayal is this?’ He didn’t reply my father and my father now told me that we should enter his car because something must be done to stop what he was trying to so. My father tried to open the door and even put his head and his hand inside when he started his car he drove up in great speed.

He didn’t stop until he hit him on a culvert , he hit him on a bill Baird and fell on the tarred. I was running and following  them on foot shouting for help.  I was saying he wants to kill my father. People were afraid to come close. After knocking him on the bill board, he spwd off . He never stopped . He left the scene”

Damina was later arrested by the police following a protest by youths in the area who barricaded the main road.

According to the family, the Ex- Commissioner was released after some days in police detention  by the outgone CP, a development that prompted them to write to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC)

The family through their counsel Muhammadu Allassim Esq., called on the Commission to properly investigate Sanda for their to compromise justice in the case.

Sanda in his defence explained that the suspect  was released because the Babanta’s dwath, which he stated was accidental, was bailable.

A court in the state however directed the suspect to be remanded in Correctional Facility in the state while investigation is ongoing.