The Gold Dealers Association (Wuse Market, Abuja) has petitioned the Amnesty International (AI) against the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun for allegedly arresting, torturing and extorting money from its members over reported stolen gold worth ₦700 million from IGP’s house.
According to a petition sighted by this platform on Tuesday, the IRT had arrested many of the association’s members, some of who are still being held by the team.
The petition alleges that some of the dealers currently detained by the IRT, include Alhaji Aminu Sarkin Zabarmawan Kebbi and his two shop attendants; Alh. Musa Aliyu; Alh. Nuhu Usman; Anas Aminu; Yahaya (Tailor from Rigasa); and also several PoS operators.
“Gold worth more than N700 milion was stolen from the residence of the Inspector General of Police in the first week of May 2024, allegedly belonging to Principal Staff Officer 3 to the Inspector General of Police.”
The Chairman of the Association, Alhaji Isa Usman (Baraden Jiwa), who spoke with our reporter in a telephone conversation on Tuesday, confirmed that the stolen gold found its way to the Wuse market and was bought by one Alhaji Auwal, who is current at large.
“The Police Intelligence Response Team ( IRT), Abuja, arrested several members of the Gold Dealers Association at the Wuse Market and PoS operators that transacted business with Alhaji Auwal, the prime suspect.
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“A preliminary investigation revealed that, the police IRT unit was working directly under the instructions of IGP who had subjected all those arrested to untold and inhumane hardship ranging from beaten, hanging and forcefully collecting money from them under the guise of recovery of the stolen Gold.
“One of the fundamental rights violations is that of one, Alh. Amin Sarkin Zabarmawan Kebbi whom his shop attendants at his shop in Wuse Market bought gold worth N3million was handcuffed and his shop with the gold of over N100 million was carted away by the IRT and still held him under detention together with his attendants.
“Another gold attendant in one of the shops in Wuse Market, Nuhu Usman, who also transacted business with Alhaji Auwal amounted to millions was arrested and eventually molested, traumatised and forcefully paid N11million for a gold he bought Six millon naira at 125,000 per gram of 80 gram gold on the instructions of PSO 3 ( Buky).
“Also the IRT cruelty maneuver obtained a bank statement of Taj Bank for one Nuhu Usman and forcefully withdrew N13 million naira cash.
“Also a tailor and resident of Rigasa, Kaduna who knows Alh. Auwal, the principal suspect, was arrested and beaten to a coma at the IRT office Abuja and still under detention,” the petition reads in parts.
The petition also sought to know the owner of the stolen Gold.
“The question is, who owned the stolen Gold ? IGP? or his wife? or PSO 3 (Buky)? The IRT team investigating the stolen gold from IGP house were listed as; Mashood, Femi, Joe (piyapiya), Femi, Habila and Abdul,” the petition added.
When we sent a WhatsApp message to the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi for comment, there was no response as at the time of filing this report.
