By Muhammad Aliyu Dutse —
Soldiers of the 73 Battalion, Dutse, Jigawa state, yesterday, beat three persons from Marangu village of Fanisau Dutse district, allegedly hired by the Village Head, Malam Sani Ussaini. It was gathered that the villagers were beaten for allegedly stealing dogs from the younger brother of the village head (Ussaini).
The younger brother, it was further gathered, reported the matter to the village head that two of his dogs were “stolen and sold to the Warjawa”, a case which made Ussaini to invite the soldiers to teach the suspects; Halilu, Auwalu and Dauda Ahmad the lesion. Efforts to contact the Commander of the 73 battalion of the Nigerian Army, Fanisau, failed as his men at the gate disallowed our correspondent.
When contacted, the District Head of Dutse local government, Alhaji Jamilu Sanusi, confirmed the incident, but said “I have never received official complaint from the village head about the matter.” He said independent investigation made by him showed that the victims really stole the dogs, but that the village took a wrong decision by inviting the soldiers to humiliate his subjects, assuring that if the Emir of Dutse established the fact of the brutality, he would surely deal with him decisively
