Court Grants Bail to Husband of Alleged Rape Victim Amid Controversial Police Actions
By Ahmed Ahmed
A High Court in Bauchi State has granted bail to Samaila Yusuf, the husband of the woman who was allegedly raped by a serving Deputy Superintendent of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Bauchi State Command, Sani Mua’zu.
The Presiding Judge, Justice L.K Umar, granted bail to Yusuf on Tuesday after 11 days of incarceration pursuant to Order XV Rule 4 of the Fundamental Human Right (Enforcement Procedures) Rules 2009 of Section 45 of the 1999 Constitution.
Samaila Yusuf’s arrest had caused outrage after he allegedly reported to the police that he caught the Immigration officer raping his wife in front of his two children on December 9, 2023.
Although the rape suspect was arrested by the police after the report, he was released on bail in less than 24 hours.
The development came almost two weeks after the victim accused the CP of failure to act on their petition
The victim explained that her husband was arrested by some policemen who came to their house on the alleged order of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the command.
Dissatisfied, the couple approached the African Child Development and Human Rights Protection seeking justice.
The victim in tears had appealed to the Inspector General of police to come to her aid and ensure that the suspect was re-arrested and investigated.
The Country Director of the Human rights organisation, Barrister Mohamed Alkassim had approached the court for justice to enforce the section of the Constitution against the violation of the rights of Yusuf in suit No BA/82M/2024.
Alkassim on behalf of the victim, wrote a petition letter dated December 22, 2023 and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Auwal.
However, rather than re-arrest the suspect as the victim prayed, the police in a dramatic twist instead arrested the husband of the victim.
Alkassim condemned the police for failing to carry out their duties on an allegation as serious as rape but easily arresting the husband of the victim.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Command, Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, denied that the police failed to investigate the suspected allegation of rape levelled against the immigration officer by the housewife.
“The Commissioner of Police had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department to investigate,” he said.
Alkassim expressed joy that Yusuf had regained freedom and called on human rights groups to come to the aid of the wife by prevailing on the police to carry out proper investigation of the allegation of rape.
The Presiding Judge has fixed February 29, 2024, as the return date for the Hearing of the Motion on Notice, with the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State and the suspected rapist, Sani Muazu as respondents.
