Police detains father, two sons for attacking FRSC officers and burning down patrol van in Bauchi

A 60-year-old father and his two sons have been taken into custody by the police in Bauchi for reportedly beating and hurting a member of the Federal Road Safety Corps while they were on patrol.

They are also said to have burned down the FRSC patrol van.

The FRSC operatives who were on duty along the Bauchi-Gombe route stopped the suspects, but the driver refused to stop, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, who confirmed the event to journalists over the phone.

He claimed that the suspects, Umar Gwallaga (60), his two sons, Nasiru Umar Gwallaga (42) and Usman Umar Gwallaga (39), were traveling from Bauchi to Gombe in a Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep when they were stopped.

Wakil, a Superintendent of Police said; “On March 7, 2023, at about 6.00 am, one Nasiru Umar, 42 years old of Gwallaga, Bauchi, Bauchi State, loaded his family members in his Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep from Bauchi to Gombe State.

“On reaching Tashan Durumi village, in Kirfi LGA, a patrol team of FRSC on a Federal highway, performing their strategic duties while on stop-and-search, stopped the vehicle but the driver refused to stop.

“At about 3.00 pm, while he was returning from Gombe to Bauchi, he was stopped and asked to present particulars of the vehicle, he then came out of the vehicle and attacked one of the FRSC personnel, Anas Aliyu, and as a result, he had a dislocation on his hand.

“He further went and attacked the patrol team driver and then set the patrol van on fire, in the process, his father, Umar Ahmed Gwallaga, 60 years and his younger brother, Usman Umar Gwallaga, 39 years old, joined him in attacking the personnel,” Wakil narrated.

He added; “Presently, the suspect and his conspirators were arrested and are under Police detention at Kirfi Police Division.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aminu Alhassan has directed the DPO Kirfi, to conduct preliminary investigations while the case file should be transferred to the SCIIB for further discreet investigations. If the suspects are found wanting, the Police Command would charge them to court for arson.”

The police spokesman emphasized that the state commissioner of police had given the general public the advice to always respect and obey personnel who are performing their legitimate duties and had issued a warning that no one would be spared because anyone found guilty would be made to suffer the full force of the law.

The Sector Command reported that on April 7, 2023, the FRSC Bara Unit Command’s first incident report, headed “Mob Assault on Patrol Team,” claimed that at around 3.05 pm, its patrol team along Bara-Gombe road had an encounter with an offender driving a Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep with the VIN BAU 976HB.

“As a result of the encounter, the patrol vehicle was set ablaze and was burnt completely. The offender has been arrested and is under Police custody.”

Yusuf Abdullahi, the FRSC Sector Commander, denounced the occurrence and called it extremely regrettable.

He questioned why people would use the law against themselves.

In order to act as a deterrence to others, Abdullahi pledged that the FRSC will pursue the issue to a logical conclusion and guarantee that justice is served.