The family of Hassan Ibrahim, a 14-year-old SSS 3 student of Armstrong Secondary School, Kaduna, North-West Nigeria, is crying for justice and official release of the body of their son who was allegedly killed by the police.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, father of the deceased, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi Mai Penti, said his son was killed by the police after he was arrested last Friday at Bakin Ruwa. His words:

“Hassan was arrested alongside his friends where he went to pass the night as a result of my scolding him to go and barb his bushy hair.

“The boy had never slept outside his home and had never been involved in any criminal activities.

“His friends said they heard gunshots and decided to peep through the door to confirm where it is coming from. The police sighted them and forced the door open and arrested all of them.

“I was later alerted of the incident and was told by one plain-cloth policeman at the Tudun Wada Police Station that they have killed my boy and I should go and claim the corpse at 44 Military Hospital. We later realised that the corpse was not there. The corpse was later discovered at Gwamna Awan General Hospital mortuary with injuries from severe beating with an object on his head.”

Mai Penti further lamented that the police refused to officially release the corpse and only asked them to go and claim it at the mortuary. “We consider that to be inhuman and unusual,” he said. “Therefore, we are seeking for justice and proper official release of the body.

“My son’s life and future has been terminated; he was to write the West African Examination (WAEC) and had been helping me in my paint business. It’s really unfair and unfortunate for my boy to be killed unjustly.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Aminu Lawal, when contacted said the police do not have such person in their custody. “We have not had somebody by the name Hassan Ibrahim,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Olufemi Adenaike, when contacted on phone said he is not in town and was not aware of the incident but would find out and get back to newsmen later.

•Photo shows Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Olufemi Adenaike.

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