The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested three local hunters and a woman for allegedly torturing a 14-year-old boy, Abobo Nasani, over alleged theft.
Abobo, of Tasala community in the Demsa Local Government Area of the state, was accused of stealing N21,000 belonging to the woman, Ngularo Pemu.
Pemu was said to have sought the assistance of local hunters, namely Kanisi India,35, Paul India, 25, and Dickson Hani, 30, to address the situation.
It was gathered that the suspects poured petrol and local gin popularly known as ‘ogogoro’ on the minor while mercilessly flogging him with a cable for him to confess where he kept the stolen cash.
The minor was bound to a tree, subjected to further physical abuse and deprived of food over a span of two days before being left by the roadside in Demsa.
The accused hunters who admitted to maltreating the boy, stated that initial investigation at their Tasala office revealed that he “stole” the money but refused to disclose where he kept it.
Having failed to recover the money from the boy, the hunters transferred the case to their local government Headquarters in Demsa for further investigation.
The boy was further tortured and starved for two days by the senior officers manning the LG Headquarters for him to confess but to no avail.
Abobo’s father, Marvelous Tunoh, said that the hunters abandoned his son by the roadside after failing to establish a connection to the crime.
The arrested individuals have reportedly confessed to the crime, expressed remorse and pleaded for leniency while being interrogated by the spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje.
The PPRO who confirmed the development said the Commissioner of Police, CP Afolabi Babatola, after receiving a complaint on the matter, ordered the immediate arrest of the suspects.
Nguroje assured that the command will charge the suspects to court for prosecution upon completion of investigation.