Vigilante shoots man dead in Bauchi for not shaving his head in line with religious commandment

MEN of the Bauchi State Police Command have arrested a local vigilante who shot and killed a young man named as Abbati Mahmud when the group was enforcing the compulsory shaving of heads in the area.

According to the police, the incident took place at the Rariya Quarters in Bauchi metropolis, with police spokesman Kamal Abubakar revealing that the command received the report on December 2 and arrested two suspects in connection with the incident. He added that Mahmud died on December 3 around 9.30pm and cautioned members of the vigilante group against taking the laws into their hands.

Mr Abubakar said: “We received a report on the death of a young man, who was allegedly shot dead by a member of the vigilante group at the Rariya Quarters. We have commenced investigation into the incident and whoever is found guilty will be prosecuted.

So far, we have arrested two people in connection with the incident. If the group makes an arrest or if it is investigating something beyond its power, it should report it to the police or submit the suspect it has arrested to the police for proper investigation and prosecution.”

Eyewitness Yahuza Shehu, added:  “When they removed Mubarak’s cap, they discovered that he had already shaved his head, so they left and later came back in large numbers, claiming that they heard that some people were making uncomplimentary statements about them. This led to an argument and the deceased took his younger siblings and kept them in one room but one of the vigilantes forced the window opened, pointed his gun inside the room and shot Mahmud to death.

"We discovered over 58 gun pellets in his body. One of the pellets hit someone called Aliyu on his leg and injured him.”

He added that Mahmud was certified dead by doctors at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital. Another local shop owner, Alhaji Yahaya Ajiya, said the residents were shocked by the killing of the young man despite the fact that he had shaved his head.

"Although the vigilantes discovered that Mahmud had shaved, they mobilised and came back in large numbers and beat people. In the process, someone’s hand was cut and a woman was also injured.

“We reported the matter to the police and initially, they arrested six people but later released three of them. We don’t know why they were released but we will not leave any stone unturned until the culprits are punished,” he added.