BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 9 February 2023

Source: BBC

‘My son no be thief but dem kill am and burn am’

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For di last three weeks, di family of Inuwa Sumaila family dey experience di kain pain wey dem neva feel before afta mob gather kill one of dia own unto accuse say e thief motorcyle.

Di family wey dey stay Sumaila local goment for Kano state wey dey north west Nigeria at di moment dey pursue justice for dia pikin.

Di victim 25-year-old Yahaya Inuwa na young man wey dey look forward to di future as e dey even plan to marry soon but im whole dreams for life end on January 17 2023.

Sabiu Inuwa na im elder brother and e tok to BBC Pidgin afta Nigeria Police present five out of di 18 suspects wey gada to allegedly murder Yahaya as dem dey find pesin wey thief one of dia motorcycles.

“On dat particular night, e visit im girlfriend and dey return home around 10:00pm wen dis whole tin start. In fact dem kill am a day to wen dem go announce im wedding date because e wan marry.”

“Dem thief one pesin motorcycle for Gwarabjawa town and na im dem mount road block unfortunately Yahaya dey return home wen dem block am and start to beat am.”

“Di motorcycle wey dem steal na Bajaj while im own na GQ so no be even di same brand.”

“E dey shout say I no be thief, na me Yahaya but dem no listen and continue to beat am some of dem even use cutlass.”

“As e dey attempt to run e fall down and na dia dem finish am come go meet one man wey dey sell petrol wey no gree sell for dem come get from somewia come light up im body.”

Sabiu say even wen dem bury im brother di following day im hand dey bent due to di beating and fire dem use for im body.

‘I go always remember im respect and kindness’

Mallama Zainabu Isyaku na di mother of Yahaya and she tell BBC Pidgin say she no fit describe di kain pain she feel about di murder of her pikin in such gruesome manner.

“Afta dem kill am, dem no let am be but drag im body for ground before dem light fire burn im corpse.”

“Dis na boy wey im marriage plans don go very far and wen dem dey beat am e tell dem say e no be thief but dem no listen.”

Mallama Zainabu say she go always remember her pikin for im respect towards her and kindness.

“Anytin I want am to do e dey always do I no go ever forget dat one about am.”

Finally she tok say she wan make di suspects wey kill her pikin to face di stiffest of punishment so dat anoda pesin no go suffer for dia hand.

Immediately Inuwa family get information about wetin happun to dia pikin, dem rush go see tins for themselves.

“One of our uncles immediately rush to police station to report di incident and dem give us officers wey help.”

“Dem identify about 18 suspects among di mob and even though some of dem run leave di town, police arrest about ten.”

At di moment, na five pipo dey on trial for di murder of Yahaya and na Wednesday 8 January 2023 suppose be first day of di trial but unfortunately dem shift di case.

‘Memories of Aluu four’

Hashimu Sani na social commentator and e yan say wen e hear about wetin happun to Yahaya, e bring back memories of di Aluu 4 students wey mob kill ten years ago for similar accusation.

“Nigerian goment need to seriously look into dis mata of mob justice as far as pipo no go see serious penalty for pipo wey partake dem no go stop am.”

Na for 5 October, 2012 students Ugonna Obuzor, Lloyd Toku, Chiadika Biringa, and Tekena Elkanah lose dia lives after mob kill dem unto accuse say dem thief.

Di four students bin run enta one local vigilante group dia hand early morning for Aluu, one community wey dey behind di University of Port Harcourt for River state southern Nigeria.

Series of robberies bin don happun for di area and for dat time of di morning, pipo become suspicious. Dem accuse dem say dem be petty thieves, dem do mock trial for four of dem and dem find dem guilty.

Dem strip dem, march dem around di community, give dem brutal beatin, den di mob kan set dem on fire as thousands dey watch and feem am.