Angry youths in Rano town, Kano State, have set fire to a building within the Rano Police Divisional Headquarters following the reported death of Abdullahi Musa, a suspect, in police custody.
TheNewsGuru reports that the unrest came after Musa, who was arrested on Sunday for a traffic-related offence, died during police interrogation.
However, the situation escalated when officers from the division allegedly fired live rounds at protesting youths, injuring two people, which further fueled the community’s outrage.
According to residents, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Rano has gained notoriety for allegedly using corporal punishment on his officers in public, a practice they said has contributed to growing resentment within the community.
Following the outrage, youths reportedly attempted to raze the police station.
The Kano State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed downplayed the extent of the destruction.
“The incident is not true; they tried to burn the divisional headquarters, but they didn’t burn the main headquarters. They just set ablaze a building by the side, not even attached to the headquarters,” Kiyawa said.
In an earlier post on his official Facebook page, Kiyawa promised that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
“What’s happening in Rano town. The necessary measures will be taken to investigate by the grace of God.
“Incident in Rano, thorough investigation will be conducted by the Grace of God,” he wrote in Hausa, translated into English.