A relative of the deceased who did not disclose his name alleged that Damina tried to have a sexual relationship with the 18-year-old daughter of his late friend and sent her airtime severally in a bid to win her over.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Police have arrested a former Bauchi State Commissioner of Information, Mohammed Damina, for allegedly killing his close friend, Adamu Babanta, while trying to woo his (friend’s) daughter, Khadijah Babanta.
Damina served as commissioner of information and later of special duties, all during the second tenure of former governor, Isa Yuguda.
He also holds the traditional title of “Galadiman Dass” in Dass Emirate Council of Bauchi State.
The incident is said to have happened in the Yelwan Lebra area, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis on October 30.
It was gathered that Babanta, a 67-year-old retired civil servant, resident in Yelwa Lebura area, caught Damina, his friend and neighbour, with his daughter on the same Sunday evening.
According to residents, the accused person called his friend’s daughter on phone to hook up with him at a location.
A relative of the deceased who did not disclose his name alleged that Damina tried to have a sexual relationship with the 18-year-old daughter of his late friend and sent her airtime severally in a bid to win her over.
“The girl reported to her mother who then told the father but he did not believe the story. Then yesterday (Sunday), he called the girl and sent her a message that she should meet him at the Total filling station by 5 pm so that they can go out.
“The girl informed her father who then asked her to go as planned and that he will follow behind to ascertain the situation. As expected, Galadima was waiting at the point while the father was watching as the girl arrived.
“Galadima asked her to enter the car after he had opened the door but at that point, the father came out and confronted his friend expressing anger. He then tried to run away but there was a struggle between them which led to him pushing the late Adamu out of the car, he hit his head on the pavement of the road, and the back tyre of the car crushed his legs and broke the bones. He died on the way to the hospital,” the source said.
Narrating the incident to journalists, Khadija, a senior secondary school student, said that the ex-commissioner got her number from her friend and had been asking her out on several occasions but she declined.
“Yesterday (Sunday) evening, Galadima called me while I was in the shop and asked me to meet him around the Yelwan Tundu market. So, I informed my father, his friend, about it and he asked me to go.
“I was in a Keke while my father took a bike, when we got there he asked me to enter his car. I said he should wait, then my father came out to confront him. They were dragging his car, he wanted to escape with me, then I came out of the vehicle. He drove roughly with my dad’s hands in his car, trying to turn off the engine. From there he hit him on a pole and he died,” she said.
Khadija said that Damina zoomed off while the lifeless body of his father was lying on the road.
Meanwhile, the incident caused a protest in the Yelwa area on Monday morning while road users were blocked on their way to work. It took men of the Nigeria Police Force, Army, Civil Defense and the monarch in the area to control the situation.
Spokesman of the police in Bauchi, Ahmed Wakil, confirmed the incident to journalists.
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Wakil, a superintendent of police, said that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Sanda, had directed that the incident be transferred to the command headquarters for discreet investigation.
He said, “Yesterday October 30, 2022, at about 7.30 pm, a case of fatal motor accident was transferred from the Yelwa Division for a discreet investigation, it was a case of culpable homicide.
“One Khadijah Adamu Babanta was enticed by one man, Mohammed Damina, Galadiman Dass, 68-year-old resident of Yelwa. When Galadima enticed her, she told her father about it, then she told the father that the said man was waiting for her at a filling station.
“Her father followed her behind to the place. On getting there, the father, now deceased, confronted Galadima through the passenger’s side of his car, as they were discussing, Galadima zoomed off the vehicle while the deceased was still hanging on to the car door to a point he fell and was rushed to ATBUTH for medical attention but was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.”
He added, “On receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, Umar Sanda directed all tactical commanders led by the Area Commander, Metro and other DPOs to the scene.”
The spokesman said the suspect is in police custody for investigation.