Police Arrest Suspect as Youth Suffers Head Injury in Vigilante Custody

Police Arrest Suspect as Youth Suffers Head Injury in Vigilante Custody

A 20-year-old man, Aliyu Nuhu, has sustained a serious head injury after members of a local vigilante group in Zaria, Kaduna State, allegedly assaulted him over claims that he stole a chicken.

The incident, which has sparked public outrage and renewed condemnation of jungle justice, reportedly occurred in Anguwar Sirdi, Limancin Kona Ward, within Zaria city.

Confirming the incident, the victim’s father, Mallam Salisu Nuhu, popularly known as Babande, accused two vigilante members of inflicting the injuries on his son during interrogation.

According to Babande, he had asked Aliyu to sell a chicken at the market, but the young man was arrested by vigilantes who accused him of theft.

“They detained him and interrogated him with severe punishment,” Babande said, adding that his son was subjected to violent treatment while in their custody.

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He explained that when Aliyu failed to return home, a vigilante member later asked him to follow him to their office, where he was informed that his son had been arrested for allegedly stealing a chicken.

Babande said the vigilantes demanded ₦5,000 as bail, but eventually allowed him to take his son home after he explained that he had no money.

It was only after returning home, he said, that he noticed serious injuries to his son’s head and was informed that a metal nail had been driven into it during the interrogation.

The family immediately returned to the vigilante office and later proceeded to a nearby chemist in the company of one of the suspects, identified simply as Nuhu. The chemist reportedly referred them to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, after assessing the injury.

Babande said they were asked to obtain a police report before treatment could commence at the hospital.

He further disclosed that the object remained lodged in his son’s head for 13 days before doctors were able to surgically remove it, adding that the family spent over ₦800,000 on medical bills.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Aliyu Nuhu identified Nuhu Dan Banga as the vigilante member who allegedly inflicted the injury during interrogation. He said he lost consciousness during the assault.

Confirming the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Zaria City Division, Nura Abubakar, said one suspect has been arrested, while another is currently at large.

The DPO assured that the suspects would be prosecuted once investigations are concluded, stressing that mob action and vigilante abuse remain criminal offences under Nigerian law.

The incident has reignited calls for stricter regulation of vigilante groups and increased public awareness on the dangers of mob justice, especially in cases involving minor or alleged offences.

Police Arrest Suspect as Youth Suffers Head Injury in Vigilante Custody