From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Nigerian citizen and businessman, Abdallah Suleiman Katsina, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to protect him from alleged continuing threat and harassment from a Deputy Inspector-General of Police.
The appeal was contained in a letter by his counsel, AS Bawa dated February 18, 2021, wherein he accused Zubairu Borodo and a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Zanna Mohammed, of criminal intimidation, unlawful detention, harassment, forgery, breach of fundamental rights and abuse of power against him.
Zubairu Borodo has denied the allegations raised against him by Abdallah Katsina as false.
In the said letter, which he equally served on the Minister of Police Service Commission and the Director General of DSS, Katsina alleged that the police acted on false information by Borodo to unlawfully detain him and charge him to court from where he was cleared.
The petitioner said Borodo caused the police to arrest him at the Kano airport in March 2019 on the allegation that he signed and reneged on a “Letter of Personal Guarantee” of N30 million in his favour over a telecom investment in 2010, which he was unaware of.
He said the purported investment transaction was for Borodo’s franchise dealer Zin Investment Nigeria Ltd to supply recharge cards, phones, and sim cards to G-Cell Wireless Ltd, a company linked to his friend, at 15 per cent upfront.
He further stated that to prove his innocence, he spent N40 million through the police to a laboratory referenced C:3000/KSX/GEN/VOL13/126 dated November 12, 2019, which proved that the signature on the said guarantee was not same as his, and that bank statements showed no money was paid to him.
He also spent other costs pursuing his case before he was cleared.
He further alleged that he was denied bail at Chief Magistrate Court in Kano, adding that the ‘poor and inhumane treatment meted on him while in detention and the psychological trauma resulted in the blood sugar level of Our Client dropping considerably (hypotension) which he has been battling ever since.’
Katsina further filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja insisting that the police ‘have no power to enforce a civil claim against the Applicant (Katsina), and that the police have breached his “fundamental rights by detaining him for three days without charging him to any court.’
Responding to the petitioner’s claim, Zubairu Borodo dismissed the allegations contained in the petition as a tissue of lies.
Responding through his counsel, BY Gambo, Borodo stated: ‘Sometimes in the year 2010, Our Client was approached by Abdallah Suleiman Katsina and he introduced himself as a Director in a telecommunication company called G-Cell Wireless Nig Ltd for a business of supply of recharge cards and cell phones at a discounted rate whose network covers Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa states, respectively.
‘Our Client declined to the business proposal at first but after much pressure and pleas from Abdallah Katsina, Our Client then reluctantly conceded and made a payment of N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira Only) into an account of G-Cell Wireless as provided by Abdallah and one Usman Abubakar Gumi. Please find attached evidence of payment of N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira Only) by Our Client into G-Cell Wireless Nig. Ltd Bank Account, as well as the acknowledgement of payment of same for your perusal.
‘However, after the said payment, northing was heard from either Abdallah Katsina or Usman Abubakar Gumi as all calls put across to their mobile phones returned unsuccessful.
‘About Nine (9) years later, Our Client came across Abdallah Suleiman Katsina on board from Abuja to Kano and on arrival at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Our Client reported the matter to the Police and as a result of which Abdallah was arrested, detained and was transferred to State CID the next day after which he was granted bail after admitting to have defrauded Our Client the sum of N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira Only) in 2010.
‘Further, contrary to their undertaking to pay Our Client his money Our Client instructed us to lodge another fresh complaint to the Police and demand for the immediate prosecution of Abdallah and Usman Gumi. Please find attached copy of the complaint dated 5th September, 2019 for your perusal. Sequel to the said complaint another discreet investigation was conducted and it was found and established that Usman Gumi and Abdallah did not use the sum of N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira Only) for the procurement of cell phones and recharge Cards as earlier agreed and consequently a First Information Report was preferred against Gumi and Abdallah dated 30th September 2019 for the alleged offences of Criminal Conspiracy, Breach of Trust and Cheating contrary to sections 97,312 and 322 of the Penal Code Law and was directed to Chief Magistrate Court No. 18 Zungeru Road, Kano, presided over by Hon Muhd Idris Sani (as he then was) before his elevation to FCT High Court, where it was re-directed to Court 12 Normansland, Kano. Please find attached copy of the F.I.R for your perusal.
‘After arraignment, the accused persons (Usman Gumi & Abdallah) made a deposit by N1,000,000 (One Million Naira Only) out of the N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira Only) and pleaded to be given time with which to pay the balance.’