Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State says he has ordered investigation into the alleged murder of a 17-year-old schoolboy, Abdallah, reportedly at the hands of a military-led joint security task force known as Operation Farauta.
The incident, which occurred in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, generates widespread concerns.
Abdallah, a senior secondary student, tragically lost his life on Wednesday while receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Moddibo Adama Teaching Hospital in Yola.
The young student had sustained severe injuries resulting from torture inflicted by the security task force. The torment reportedly followed a complaint lodged by a neighbor regarding a missing phone.
A press release signed by Humwashi Wonosikou, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor indicated that Fintiri had directed the commissioner of police in the state to open an investigation into the matter with a view to prosecuting those found wanted.
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“Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has ordered the police commissioner to investigate the alleged murder of Abdallah said to have been tortured by operatives of the security apparatus code named “Operation Farauta,” the statement read.
The statement also commiserated with the family of the deceased while calling for calm, stressing that the government would ensure justice in the case.
According to Dr Abubakar Hamman Diram, the legal representative of the deceased’s family, personnel from Operation Farauta had taken Abdallah into custody on August 5th. The student was subjected to physical abuse, rendering him unconscious.
He said the tragic event unfolded after another boy, who later confessed to stealing the missing phone, confessed giving it to Abdallah. But the young victim denied.
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Dr Tukur Abba, the deceased student’s father, confirmed that legal action had been initiated against both the complainant and those responsible for his son’s fatal ordeal.
Operation Farauta, comprised of soldiers, police officers, operatives from the Directorate of State Security (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), operates under military leadership.