Residents of Karodin Madaki quarters in Bauchi metropolis were thrown into shock and mourning following the killing of a renowned Islamiyya teacher, Rilwanu Dauda, 42, on Sunday. Dauda was allegedly stabbed to death by two brothers suspected to be political thugs after a quarrel over political posters.
Quarrel over political posters turns deadly
According to the deceased’s elder brother, Hamza Dauda, trouble started around 10 a.m. when 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,” Hamza recounted. “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.”
Victim died on the way to hospital
Some people saw the thug sneak away after stabbing Malam. It was only after he left that they realised the victim was bleeding from the injury. He was rushed to the Bauchi State Specialist Hospital but died on the way. “I was at my place of work when a friend of mine, Babangida, called me 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,” Hamza said. “Malam was someone who never quarreled with others. Unfortunately, look at how he was brutally murdered for no reason.”
Family calls for justice
Hamza called on the government and the police to arrest the killers and bring them to justice. “I want justice in this matter. Everybody knows Malam was not troublesome and he was killed unjustly. His family wants justice. The killers should be arrested and made to pay for their actions,” he said.
Residents 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 kill over a slight provocation. This is unfortunate and something should be done to prevent its recurrence,” he lamented.
Residents express shock and grief
“Youths no longer value life. On any provocation, you hear that someone has been killed. 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,” Aminu added. “Probably the guys who killed 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.”
Another resident, Musa Yusuf, described the death 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 neighbours, Bello Ibrahim, said: “The thugs called a colleague who came to the scene and proceeded to paste the poster, resulting in a heated argument.” Bello said it was at that point that one of the thugs brought out a dagger, stabbed 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.
Governor visits family, pledges education for children
Bauchi State Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed visited the deceased’s family for condolences. The governor pledged to take responsibility for 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. 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.
Police launch investigation
Confirming the incident, the Bauchi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Nafi’u Habib, said police had commenced investigation. “No stone will be left unturned in the course of our investigation until the killers 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. The fight against crime is everybody’s responsibility. People should always help us with such information so that we can act accordingly,” he said.
