A widow in Nigeria has petitioned the head of the country’s police force to launch an independent investigation into the death of her husband, who died shortly after being released from a 35-day police detention.
Fatima Ibrahim Jalo alleges that her late husband, Inspector Ahmadu Babayo, was held unlawfully without charge or court authorization before being released in a critical medical condition on 26 October. He died two days later in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri.
Inspector Babayo had served in the Nigeria Police Force for 23 years and was attached to the State Intelligence Department in Borno State.
In a formal petition dated 28 October and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mrs. Jalo accused several senior officers of involvement in or failing to prevent the prolonged custody. Among those named are Assistant Inspector-General of Police Emmanuel Egene of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Gombe, and Borno State Commissioner of Police Naziru AbdulMajid, alongside three other officers. The petition alleges that AIG Egene instructed local leadership to detain the officer “until death.”Mrs. Jalo has also questioned an official medical report signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Nasiru Egga, claiming its stated cause of death contradicts her husband’s physical state upon release. She is calling for an independent forensic review and a full post-mortem examination to establish the precise cause of death.
The widow’s petition outlines several key demands:Independent Panel:
The establishment of an investigative panel entirely separate from the officers and commands named in the petition.
Evidence Preservation: The immediate securing of custody registers, duty logs, detention orders, medical records, official communications, and CCTV footage.
Suspension of Officers: The temporary suspension or reassignment of the named officers to prevent potential interference with the inquiry.
Legal Action and Entitlements: Prosecution of any officers found culpable, the release of Inspector Babayo’s withheld salaries for September and October, payment of full entitlements, and protective measures for the family against intimidation.
Mrs. Jalo stated that her husband’s salary was halted on the orders of the Borno State police chief prior to his death. Copies of the petition have been submitted to key oversight bodies and government authorities, including the Police Service Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and parliamentary committees on police affairs.
The petitioner indicated she retains the right to initiate legal proceedings should authorities fail to take prompt action.
Nigerian police authorities have not yet issued an official response to the allegations.
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