KANO: The Kano State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of popular political commentator, Ibrahim Khalil Danshagamu, at his residence in Gaida Quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects were arrested following an intelligence-driven operation after the commentator was allegedly attacked by unknown assailants who invaded his residence on Monday night.
The command, in a statement issued Wednesday by its spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, said it received a distress call from the commander of the Gaida Vigilante Group at about 11:30pm.
According to the statement, the vigilante commander reported that unknown hoodlums had forcibly entered Danshagamu’s residence and attacked him with sharp objects.
“Operatives of the Kumbotso Police Division promptly responded to the scene and rushed the victim to Murtala Mohammed Specialists Hospital, Kano, where he was confirmed dead on arrival by a medical doctor,” the statement said.
The police said the two suspects were arrested by the Kumbotso Divisional Police Officer, working with tactical units of the command and community stakeholders.
“The suspects are currently in custody undergoing interrogation. The Command has intensified efforts to apprehend any other persons who may be connected to the crime,” the statement added.
The command said forensic procedures were ongoing, while statements were being obtained from relevant persons to establish the circumstances and motive behind the attack.
The killing had earlier sparked condemnation from opposition politicians and rights groups, with calls for a thorough investigation.
Former Kano State governor and opposition politician, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, said Danshagamu was found in a pool of blood at his residence, describing the incident as a “horrific attack.”
Kwankwaso urged the Kano State Government to constitute an investigative panel to probe the killing and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.
Also condemning the incident, Amnesty International Nigeria called for a thorough investigation, stressing that critics and outspoken citizens should be protected in a democracy.
“In a democracy, outspoken persons or critics are accommodated, listened to, not killed,” the organisation said.
Similarly, the Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Husaini Mai Riga, described the killing as “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
Mai Riga said the incident raised concerns about public safety, press freedom and democratic values in the state, urging the state government and security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased and assured residents that the command would pursue the investigation to its logical conclusion.
“The Kano State Police Command will not relent in its mandate to protect lives and property. We assure the good people of Kano that justice will be pursued to its logical conclusion,” Bakori said.
The command commended the Gaida Vigilante Group for promptly alerting the police and urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the investigation.
Kiyawa said the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
He added that additional patrols and intelligence-gathering operations had been deployed in Gaida and neighbouring communities to maintain law and order.
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