Resident of Karodin Madaki quarters in Bauchi metropolis were thrown into shock and mourning following the k!lling of a renowned Islamiyya teacher in the area, Rilwanu Dauda.
Dauda, 42, was allegedly k!lled on Sunday by two brothers suspected to be political thugs after a quarrel over political posters.
It was gathered that Dauda was st@bbed in the stomach with a knife and d!ed on the way to hospital.
According to the deceased’s elder brother, Hamza Dauda, trouble started around 10am on that day after the deceased asked the thugs to remove political posters pasted on a billboard adjacent to his house.
The thugs refused and engaged him in a fight.
“The younger of the two thugs hit Malam with a stick; while the elder hit him with a knife on the head. Malam immediately collapsed and people around intervened and forced all the thugs to leave the scene.
“However, the younger thug crossed the road, entered his family house and a few minutes later returned to our family house holding a knife. He met my late brother at the main gate and stabbed him in the stomach before running away.
“Some people saw him sneak away after stabbing Malam. It was only after he left that they realised my late brother was bleeding from the injury. He was rushed to the Bauchi State Specialist Hospital where he was confirmed dead. He died on the way to hospital.
“I was at my place of work when a friend of mine, Babangida, called me on phone and asked me to come to the hospital because my younger brother was dead. On arrival, I checked his body and saw where he was stabbed in the stomach.
“Malam was someone who never quarreled with others. Unfortunately, look at how he was brutally m8rdered for no reason.”
Hamza called on the government and the police to arrest the killers and bring them to justice. LawEnforcement
“I want justice in this matter. Everybody knows Malam was not troublesome and he was killed unjustly. His family wants justice. The k!llers should be arrested and made to pay for their actions.”
Residents, who spoke to Daily Trust, described the late cleric as humble, kind, humane and a gentleman.
One of them, Muhammad Aminu, described the incident as unfortunate.
“I wonder why people no longer value human life. People can k!ll over a slight provocation. This is unfortunate and something should be done to prevent its recurrence,” he lamented.
“Youths no longer value life. On any provocation, you hear that someone has been k!lled. When I heard about Malam’s case, I didn’t believe it until three different people told me, because Malam was not the kind of person you would expect to be involved in such a fight.
“Probably the guys who k!lled Malam had a grudge against him before this incident. After all, the fight had ended following the intervention of people around. So why did one of the thugs return to the scene and stab him? This tells you he had a grudge against the deceased.
“Late Malam Rilwanu was a kind and humane cleric who related well with people. He was religious and generous. You hardly saw him in this area except when he came to his family house. He was residing with his family along Ibrahim Bako Road.”
Another resident, Musa Yusuf, described the d3ath of the cleric as a great loss not only to his immediate family, but to the entire people of Karofin Madaki and Bauchi State as a whole.
One of the deceased’s neighbour, Bello Ibrahim, said: “The thugs called a colleague who came to the scene and proceeded to paste the poster, resulting in a heated argument,” he said.
Bello said it was at that point that one of the thugs brought out a dagger, st@bbed the late Ridwan in the chest and fled.
“Residents rushed out, picked him up, and took him to hospital, but he died on the way,” he said.
Another resident, Sani Musa, described Rilwanu as a nice gentleman and an Islamiyya teacher from a decent family background who was hardworking and dedicated to providing for his family.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed visited the deceased’s family for condolences.
The governor pledged to take the responsibility of the education of the deceased’s children from primary school up to university.
He said that perpetrators of violent crimes anywhere in the state would have no hiding place, as the government intensifies efforts to safeguard the lives and property of innocent, law-abiding citizens.
The governor noted that his administration is committed to maintaining law and order across the state in order to safeguard the lives and property of innocent citizens.
He described the incident as a tragic loss and assured the bereaved family that justice would be pursued without fear or favour but through due process, and that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
He noted that while Bauchi State has continued to intensify efforts to combat banditry and other security threats affecting some rural communities, his administration is equally determined to address criminal activities within the state capital and other urban areas to guarantee the safety of all residents.
The governor called on citizens to remain law-abiding and avoid resorting to violence in resolving disputes.
He urged members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that would aid ongoing investigations and strengthen crime prevention efforts.
Responding on behalf of the family, Mallam Bala Dauda thanked the governor for the visit and for the support extended to them in their moment of grief.
Confirming the incident, the Bauchi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Nafi’u Habib, said police had commenced investigation. LawEnforcement
“No stone will be left unturned in the course of our investigation until the k!llers of the cleric are arrested. We will not relent until we arrest them all,” he said.
Asked whether any arrests had been made, the police spokesperson said there had been none, but assured that “the culprits will surely be arrested and brought to book.”
He urged the public to always report crimes in their communities to appropriate authorities.
“The useful information people provide to police helps in minimizing crime in our society. Citizens should feel free to report crimes to the police,” he said.
“The fight against crime is everybody’s responsibility. People should always help us with such information so that we can act accordingly.”