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Saturday 12 October 2013

‘low’ ENFORCEMENT AGENT



‘low’ ENFORCEMENT AGENT
A true story of my encounter
 with police.
By
Abubakar Sulaiman Muhd
         
How would you imagine I would appear had I spent a night on police custody in a cell that smells bad odour of rotting man’s pee and faeces with an empty night, nothing in the stomach with the unwholesome splatter of police torture, intimidation, persecution and harassment on a trivial disobedience to the police personal command that could be settled without a need to move an inch towards police station. But is it breaking the law of the land quarrelling with the security personnel?  This was not my worry. For what if the station was the next target on BH’s hit list and I happened to spend a night there?

 A triviality might cause my death. A trivial law breaking that needed no cause of rising hackles compared to the perpetrations committed by police officers and other officials at the top echelon of government departments at all levels and organs of government. I mean federal, state and local government and executive, legislature and judiciary and all the apparatus serving in these agencies. Military, polithivicians, and civil servants; skilled and unskilled.

Come on with me for a tour to the landscape of memory and regale you with a fascinating and a little bit disgusting story of my encounter with a ‘low’ enforcement agent. A police man.
          29thth December, 2012 happened to be a Saturday morning and since the inception of Kwankwaso’s administration every last Saturday of the months is declared public sanitation day from 6:00am – 10:00am. And every same time of this day, the city holds its breath. Shops close, roads dry and everything falls to silence. No more hubbub or commotion of business activities as the city used to be in otherwise days until after the temporary sanitation curfew is over. The moment the sanitation curfew finishes, the scamper begins. And the streets take the commotion, with many people struggling to convey to their various destination. Students, businessmen, hawkers, petty traders, public bus drivers shuttling in around the city and other labourers furrowing and scattering fro and to all direction. They troop from all direction that one can conclude that they are forced to remain at home unwillingly by the law enforcement agents even if they would not carry out the sanitation exercise in their environment on which they are obliged to. The monster is known to stalk the streets and survey those who are blessed with bone ears (kunnan kashi), right? Or if you like put tough ears - deaf to the law. And monster on one hand, for this matter is not stalking to secure full obedience of the law but to find law defiants so that they would get chunk out of them.
          I took bath around the hour that I considered appropriate and enough to take us to our college without being too late after the curfew hours ended. I packed my bag with books and other school paraphernalia and headed towards Isma’il’s compound where we usually converge with another friend called Sani before we normally go to school on Isma’il’s new vehicle bought for this purpose  which the two of us share the use with him.
          Behind school of physiotherapy, a branch of BUK medicine faculty      is the cluster where I live. We got on the vehicle and nosed the road of Kofar Dawanau Road after we drove out of the corner street of the houses that joins the Kofar Dawanau road from our locale. As the pattern of tiny streets that join the bigger roads throughout the city formation and the bigger ones leading to the major roads. It is only when you go to the core centre of the ancient city of Kano then you  will see  rat-like passages serving as streets for human use.
          We drove upward the road to join Aminu Kano Way. A road that starts from Mumbayya House and ends at Kofar Kadan Kaya. Aminu Kano is a highly reverential political figure. A role model of young politicians of the society. A man of principle and of true democracy and of social justice and equality. A terror of anarchy and inequity to the masses. Truelly champion of the masses. A man whom many of these days corrupt politicians ascribe their political ideology to.  Which I believe is wrong because if he were to come back he would arraign them for tarnishing his political image. Mumbayya House is the historical relic of Mallam Aminu Kano’s compound where he lived during his life time and the road derived its name from this lane. In his memoriam.
          We drove a one-way traffic till we reached to a junction around Madugu House along the way where we crossed to another part of the dual passage – leaving GGSS Bulukiya behind and arriving at the Mumbayya House. The road seemed to be more congested there because of the vehicles increase that ran from Kofar Ruwa Road. We turned two corners, that of Jigilawa Motors and the other of Musa Iliyasu House and made our way towards Kofar Mazugal. You know Kano is a city surrounded with gates built since around 13th century during the reign of King Muhammadu Rumfa. The city is surrounded with moat and fortified thick earthen wall resistant to enemy attack. The state traditional apparatus were in charge of any movement through the gate of their respective domain under the charge of Sarkin Kofa and were to forestall enemy invasion. The Sarkin Kofas were appointed by the emir and accountable to him. Each gate got it’s christen from an important event that happened at that same place. For example Kofar Dawanau was named when people of Dawanau town were using the way to pass to bring their farm product of groundnuts through the city to sell to the native groundnut agents at Filin Dalar Gyada now Filin Holo; who later sold it to the European merchants. The history of the city would not complete without mentioning the twin mountains of Dala and Gwauran Dutse (the former a wife to the latter according to the folklore) whose historical existence is full of different lore versions. The city is really having a stunning spectacular view that every tourist will like to witness.
         
My bag hung loosely round my shoulder and unnoticed to me, the road grew more and more congested with vehicles speeding   at a great pace to reach their destinations without being too late. It was Saturday, and for the city with the majority of its populace traders; Saturday means important. Because it is on this day traders from neighbouring states and boarders beyond come to buy wares in the major markets.    Kantin Kwari market is the largest textile materials place throughout Africa, Singer market the largest place for foodstuff provision also all over Africa, Kofar Wambai market, Kurmi market the historical one and Sabon Gari market the all-encompassing one that makes the conglomeration of all.

Another vehicle to our side that we were brushing shoulder with came abreast of us and in trying to pass it by, the sling of my bag caught into the front brake handlebar of the vehicle. I tried to slip it out but failed. When I finally learnt that the power of the velocity at which we were running was so high and uncontrollable and our power began bullying the other vehicle through the bag sling connection, I quickly shrugged my left shoulder sideways in recline to let go of the bag off me so that to right our vehicle; to steady up from the violent zigzagging and so to the other vehicle. But before I knew it, I heard my bag land on the tarred road and the other vehicle also fell. The front of the felling Jincheng crashed and appeared badly damaged. The driver got a ball of bruising spot on the side of the cheek he fell on. The other person he was carrying grazed his knees despite the strong jacketed jeans he wore.
Hold your breath! Thank God for there was some distance between, before another following vehicle could ran over the felling men and machine. And thank God it wasn’t us felling because more damages would incur for our vehicle was that of Roba-Roba type (a term used by Kanonians referring to any vehicle with plastic cover widely used by Kanonian youth to attract young ladies). Our vehicle ran ahead to some feets before it reached to a complete halt. We stopped and dismounted off the vehicle. I was the first to reach the spot. I retrieved my bag, my modem and my flash card that spurted out from the open side pocket of my bag. Deep beneath me I was uncertain about the state of my PC. For it was likely to get badly wounded by the forces reaction it so severely underwent. You know I ’m always with a PC and modem so as to keep in touch with the modern world of information age in order to remain ever updated.
Hap was I for this matter. Kanonians are men of belief in destiny even in the circumstance where destiny is irrelevant. Impertinent. They attribute everything to God even when God has no hand in the matter. Despite the reckless speed at which we were going, though it wasn’t my sole responsibility nor our driver’s for everybody was mad; speeding at a high velocity like electric light. By lobbying and persuasive tongs the injured were pacified and forgave me and went.
To cut story short let arrive at France Road incidence. After we left a checkpoint at Sa’adu Zungur House (Triumph Publishing Company, state owned media) and headed down France Road; there is a blockade in the exact vicinity of Sabon Gari Police Division    adjacent to the Abubakar Rimi Market’s shops. It was Saturday as I said earlier on, and people were held at home for some good hours and they were eager to make up with the missing affairs; everybody was in haste and Sabon Gari housing quarters was vomiting market women threading their way to attend their shops. A woman with her children was crossing the road to the market side, and then a police made a sign to us that we should make a slow-down move to let the sheperdening woman pass. Actually we didn’t halt to a complete stop as the police commanded but we so much lowered our speed to a snailing, equal to a pedestrian’s pace. On reaching abreast of the policeman, he jumped to us and made to the key. But Isma’il, the driver barricaded his way and quickly ejected it out and shove it some where in his body safer. Imagine how could such a crawling pace hurt someone? Had it been we were going at a high speed, able to injure someone; I didn’t think the policeman would have got chance to come near us   and attempted to take the key without him getting hurt or pushing him aside. Please imagine that.
It was a long saga, please keep a Job of patience to reach to the last page.     

          “Why don’t you stop while you are seeing me signaling you to stop?” The policeman inquired.
          “No Yallabai, if you stop us to avoid hitting her, so we did not.” I replied. To my philosophy the reason behind stopping us was to avoid hitting the woman and since we hit her not I thought everything was ok.
          “You squeeze three of you on a vehicle.” The policeman shifted to another charge.
          “Haba Yallabai, your first charge is not on this basis,” I quickly protested, “you only want to delay us and waste our time.”
          “Yallabai forgive us we are students.” Sani chipped in.  
          “Officer since we did not hit her, only that we didn’t stop to a complete halt please allow us go.” Isma’il observed.
          “Ok, you don’t have plate number, right?” The policeman asked rhetorically.
          “Yallabai it is because the motorcycle is new and the plate is on the process.” Isma’il replied courteously
          “Yallabai it is only if you want to delay us or cheat us that is why you arrest us. For if not, allow us go.” I started in half frustrated tone from the reminiscence anger of the previous accident. All this was happening on the road, to the middle side of a little cemented up-inch block that separates the dual passage from each other. The atmosphere began to get hot as a verbal skirmish was underway as I sensed that the police man was in no tending to let us go. Seeing that, the other policeman in black uniform who continued controlling the traffic told us to cross to the other part of the road for settlement so that we would not block the way for the other vehiclists. This gesture could be translated to mean ‘go to the other side and settle the issue with the little money you have,’ backhander. ‘Corruption.’ The tone of the black uniformed officer inclined to side with his colleague by accusing us of standing at the middle of the road. A charge I had never expected. Could that mean another offence? Who could tell? While crossing the road the officer in violet shirt and black trousers made the same sign to oncoming vehicles that they should slow down; but for us to mean we should stop to a halt, for us to cross the road.
          “You see Yallabai, if you are fair and just; you will have to arrest these men.” I pointed particularly to a man in an oncoming car, since he did not stop completely to the command of the officer as the same case with ours. “Kawai dai mu dan ka raina mana hankali, shi yasa ka kamamu?”
          “Officer this duty you are doing on us is not yours, it is VIO’s.”  Isma’il observed
          “So now you are correcting us, ko?” The policeman said in menace. You know how police are in Nigeria, they are law in themselves not law enforcement agents as prescribed by the constitution. That’s law in our country. Period.
I picked up my phone pretending as if I was dialing someone’s number to put fear in the mind of the mercenary officer. For it is not uncommon to see somebody when arrested calling someone he knows who is influential to come and save his neck. But actually I was just simulating not because I have nobody to call but just to spare them peace. A mounting of anger accrued in me and I began to seethe with furious frustration.
          “You just want to cheat us, shame on you. You find nobody to cheat other than the poor masses and students.” I barked furiously.
          “Did I demand something from you?” the policeman challenged.
          “No, but it is your intention.” I insisted because I could read his intention vividly by mere looking at his face.
          “Yallabai we are students.” Sani plead with him.
          “Ni za ka gayawa ku dalibaine, tun kafin ka san zaka fara karatu nakeyi. Allah yasa kai ne Mango Park me hakoran ABCD.” Inside me I doubted his words. For how could so much learned person like him, as he claimed; would remain in the street under the searing tropical sun? But it quickly dawned on me. Such people are those who have completed their schooling not beyond secondary level. They are those dullards whom their parents find it waste of resources continuing sponsoring their study. Or those who prefer certificate to knowledge and normally ending up with certificate without certification. Then I remembered the opinion of my lecturer who told us when he read in a paper that about 8000 graduates seeking for driving job in Dangote Cement Company. He said ‘if you see them kill them. They are liars. They are those students with certificate without certification.’ And that policeman, no doubt; is one of them.
          “Let him do whatever he wants. We are not afraid of your punishment. The last of it is taking us to the station and then to the court; so we like it, take us we have no problem.” I didn’t know where I summoned courage to wear bold face and poured these bitter words on the officer. “Wallahi Yallabai we are not afraid of anything.” My downpour vile continued to land and raze inside the heart of the disheartening officer. “The worst of it you can do is killing us, so do it. But you should know that you kill us and you are also going to die one day. Or if you think you will take us to your kangaroo courts before impartial and unjust judges for show trial, we can appeal to the high authority ahead and even if the court of appeal proved to be kangaroo too; we have another one to appeal. It is international court and Wallahi kuma mutum sai an tafi dashi kuma sai an bi mana hakkinmu. You must be tried there justly and if you cheat us you will get your comeuppance. It is not Nigeria. And if we fail there we will appeal to God for His assistance.” Amid this verbal eruption people had crowded the scene. By this time I already injected a feeling of remorse, abatements and deflation in the mind of boiling officer. He felt guilty of his misdoing and sorry for himself. “You see Yallabai, you are the ones that we put our trust in and if you behave this way,” I shrugged my hands in front nonchalantly, “then how do we do?” This time I have taken self-abasement and this made the officer to look more foolish than before. Traders around the police division who were familiar to the policeman started to plead mercy on our behalf but the policeman turned down the request flatly though he subdued his anger and from all indication was ambivalent to allow us go and it might be from the public disgrace he received that’s why he wanted to get rid of us before more people come and eye -witness the scene. But before my frustrated state reached to a phlegmatic juncture, the other policeman crossed the road towards us. He demanded for the key and Isma’il refused him it. Before you know it the policeman in black uniform has reached his hand out on Isma’il’s face and landed a painful smack. The print of his fingers remained on his face for some while before disappearing. The policeman took the motorcycle and pushed it toward a wooden bench where a group of officers were basking in morning sun to warm up their body.
          “Yallabai waddanan yaran basu da kunya, sai an tafi da su, these young men are stubborn they should be taken to the station.” He talked to one of the officers sitting on the bench and the officer did not utter a word. He just looked up to us with menace. The policeman in black picked his phone and dialed a number.
          “Ibrahim wasu yarane gasu nan basu da mutunci, zansa a kawo su yanzu. Ibrahim I have three bad young men I will send them to you now.” We all felt diffident and deflated and all our strength deserted away for we knew the police torture at least by story we   heard from those who have been to cell about how they got tortured and abused even before the sleuthing proved them guilty. Such maltreatment and human right abuse are really inhuman and brutal even when sighting them in your mind’s eyes without coming in physical contact with them. The policeman in violet shirt was to push the motorcycle to the station on the instruction of the one in black. Out of their ignomable unconsciousness, we have studied their names and number by heart (names and number excluded here for security reason) for writing it openly would mean risky venture. We were nearly to the police station, a trader in a flowing gown babbariga pleaded with the policeman to let us go but all in vain.    
          “Wallahi sai sunje. They must go.” Came the sworn reply.
By the time we reached to some feets away from the extempore roof under whose shade another three or four police officers were sitting. We stopped at a distance while the pushing policeman in violet was already ahead of us talking to the officers. From that distance I heard him tell them what transpired between us. A false account, value loaded and fabricated bullshitting.
          “Zaginmu suke yi, wanacan mai fararen kayan wai har cewa yake gwamnatinma azzaluma ce. They are insulting us, this guy in white even says the government is bad.” He pointed at me. Hearing this fabricated and distorted account, I quickly briefed the two pals and made a discreet aside.
          “We should not enter the station for you know how police are. They will distort the truth and will not accept our version even when we are fortunate enough to be allowed to speak. They will just raid us with rain of marauding savages, chastisement and pummel.” This quickly reminded me a story of a policeman and a civilian. The man was lying on his mattress in front of his compound for ventilation. During hot season the atmosphere in the core city is like a furnace, terribly hot. People come out side for air because houses make cluster and therefore stifling the ventilation. On that night police operation was to take place in that same area. The police raided a group of ganja smokers and arrested some and chased away those who escaped. A policeman came to the place where the man was lying on his mattress and woke him up – saying that he arrested him and should be taken to the station. Surprise engulfed the man. On what offence would he be arrested? Did he look like an offender? No just police framing. “Just few questions, when you answer them you will be released.” The police would say. The man did not resist, he said he would go but must be allowed to take his mattress with him. To him, when they arrived at the station the mattress would be a concrete proof of his innocence. But on arriving there at the station, hmm you know how police are. Wicked. The DPO asked of the man with mattress and the officer that arrested him said “Oga wannan barawon katifane ne. He is a mattress thief.” Came the reply. And the man was not asked to tell his version. The policemen just started at him. So with this and other experiences, entering to the station, to me, would mean we are good fools of the century. We stopped there until we assured that the policeman entered the station. Because if we left without seeing him enter, he might dodge and come out and sell it away. For who knew if he was a quack officer. For it happens on many occasions a fake officer arresting vehicles and the owners went away to their business only to come back and found the police disappeared. Then whom were we going to blame?  He or us? We went through the market gate behind the station where I bought a phone card and recharged my phone and rang a neighbor’s number, the philanthropist Alh. Aminu Dan Gaye to tell him our state of being. He assured me not worry; the motorcycle would be brought to our home. Then on, we proceeded to our college. Saturday night passed without the vehicle back at home.

Sunday Morning
Sunday morning was a real terrible. The three of us were all disturbed emotionally. No issue about the motorcycle. Early in the morning I re-phoned Alh. Aminu as a reminder and he reassured me to calm down. Still I was feeling jittery. The news spread to everywhere in my locality like wild fire. Everybody I met asked me about it. I didn’t feel comfortable with that, really. Around 4:00pm, as Alh. Aminu promised me that he would come back and discuss the case mouth to mouth with me. I waited patiently until the time came and passed and came not he. I was struggling to find ease. But no longer at ease. Then came a news that in the afternoon we were to play soccer match with other boys at near Kofar Ruwa. Still no longer at ease because something has already preoccupied my heart.
In the afternoon, I dressed up in a blue jeans and a red shirt and put over my black hoody and went with dual intention. If Alh. Aminu came right at that hour, I would follow him and if he didn’t, and he didn’t; I would play the match. I told my fellow colleagues where to find me when they got ready. I took my newly bought book Politics and Religion by Dr. Dukawa and went to a shop at Kofar Dawanau, sat there and perused it. The shop is along the way where the soccer match was to hold. Still with the mind of receiving call from Aminu. After spending good 35 minutes my colleagues came to take me to the field.  The field was very terrible. A passage between the rows of houses facing each other. It was very chaotic and uncomfortable with the passers-by and vehiclists passing every now and then while the game was going on. The football style lacks conventional formalities standard set by FIFA. Foul is decided base on debate and consensus between the two contenders for there is no referee. Bare-footed player of equal number of about 7 will be in both of the teams in contention. If a player kicks a ball out of the field and it vaguely touches opponent player, argument erupts; each team claiming that it is their due and the other will also counter claim till consensus reached. This is a soccer style commonly practiced by the Kano youth. We call it ‘Yar Mando (the enjoyable one). Luckily, the match took away some burden off me and found myself smiling when I scored the first goal to our contenders. The match ended 2-1 to our contenders. We defeated them though it was Pyrrhic victory. But sadly, the match left me with a wound on my right little toe.
Nightfall came. I phoned Alh; Aminu again. He didn’t pick the phone. I gave up any hope. Then after post-dusk prayer my phone rang. It was him. I went to his place and he told me that he was on a day trip to a village for a friend’s wedding ceremony. He told me that when he would leave for work he would call his police neighbour to refer the matter to him. I thanked him and left with ambivalent feeling of hope and despair. The vehicle was not mine and I was the major cause of the arrest because of my bitter tong. Truth is bitter, and I gave a pill to this policeman that he found hard to swallow. I quickly went to Isma’il’s house and told him what Alh. Aminu has told me. This calmed him down. He suggested that he would go to Alh. Aminu by himself. In the mid of Sunday night Alh. Aminu called his neighbour police and told him the case.

Monday Morning
In the Monday morning the sun dazzled despite the misty fog. I heard a loud knock on my door and a shout of my name ‘Abubakar.’ I was full of rays of hope. I quickly woke up from the bed.
          “Alh. Aminu told me your vehicle was arrested. Now we will go to the station.” He said. “But I couldn’t go there because I’m in a great hurry up to somewhere; I handle the case to’ (no mentioning name) ‘so that he will go with you to the station,”
 Recutting the Story Short
After Alh. Aminu’s neighbour to whom the case was initially handed has referred the case to his colleague. The third party met me and told me where to meet him. I selected some books out of my collection I considered relevant with the legal matters and struggle including Mandela’s A Long Walk To Freedom and Obama’s The Dreams from My Father, stuffed them in my bag to show the police my level of literary commitment so that perhaps they might have respect for knowledge to treat me with humane tendency and mercy. I   went to the rendezvous earlier and waited his arrival. When he arrived we trekked to the Sabon Gari Police Division at France Road through Abubakar Rimi market.
At the Police Station
We arrive at the DCO office after my accompanying officer has phoned the DCO at the gate to confirm his presence. Inside the police station no need to ask the description of the place. Dilapidation. Like all others you know it is the same with this one.
          “Is this the man that his motorcycle was arrested?” The DCO asked. How he know the case? Perhaps they talked on phone. “You just had a narrow escape,” the DCO was saying after we entered his office, “do you know dead body? You were nearly dead body. The era of quarrel with police has passed. If a police shot you, nothing will happen; the era of investigation has passed. You are just dead. Last week JTF operatives shot a boy along Gwarzo Road. He was stopped by their men and he     moved slightly with an inch and they shot him. Now even if you are a son of king wallahi if police shot you this time around nothing will happen. Police are cooperative in ensipirit de corps; they will never fish out who made the shooting in case of investigation. So you better take care.” He said emphatically. I sat there listening to the DCO’s caution while the accompanying police told another version of event contrary from the one I knew. I did not utter a word of correction despite the fouls that deserved be corrected. Though I knew without his false version the motorcycle would have not be released. The DCO shouted a name of an officer outside. A tall middle aged man appeared. He saluted the DCO militarily before he ordered him in.
          “Call any body from the MTD unit.” He snapped in a commanding tone. After some few minutes the office came back and said. “Nobody is around from the unit.”
          “Go with this boy he would show his motorcycle, release it.”
          When we came out of the office I showed him the motorcycle among the many many vehicles that have seen many moons akept and their owners did not bother to come to collect them. It might be that they were afraid, because the bail price would outrun the value of the vehicle if they were to be sold in their ramshackle state. Meanwhile the tall policeman led me to a counter room and showed me to an officer on duty and told him the DCO’s instruction. The short officer on duty hesitated to execute the command, wanting to ask further questions.
          “The officer in the MTD unit that arrested the vehicle is not around and the officer who took over that Saturday is also not around.” The short officer explained.
          “But the DCO said it. Do you want to go and ask him yourself?” The tall officer rhetorically asked.
          “Where is the key, is it with the officer that arrested you?” The officer on the counter asked me.
          “No.” I replied producing the key from my pocket.
The officer brought a register to enter the record of the release. He asked me the name and the colour of the motorcycle, I told him the name but with the colour I got difficulty.
 “Dark blue.”  I said finally.
“Is this colour dark blue? Which school are you?” He asked.
          “CAS.” I snapped because I was eager to leave the station.
“Which courses do you offer?”
“IJMB.” I replied sharply.
“Department?” He inquired.
“Art.” I snapped.
“Combination?” He asked inquisitively.
“English Literature, Government and IRS.” I replied.
“That is why you will not know this colour. You are not science student. It is blue black. I’m science student?” He said but I did not bother to ask him further question about the school he finished. Another policeman came in. I could hear a faint distant voice of captives from the inner cell complaining to an officer about breakfast, that they would give him their money to get them something to eat outside. Though by that time it was already 10:00am plus.
          “Kai abokina ba zaka bada wani abu ba, kayi alheri mana. Please give something.” The officer that recently came in demanded.
          “To ai ni Yallabai bani da ko za ne. My pocket is behind zero digit.”
As the officer wrote the statement of release I followed his pen to read what he was writing:
31st December, 2012 a blue black Super Winner motorcycle arrested by MTD officer on Saturday 29th December, 2012 in possession of Abubakar Sulaiman Muhd of Kofar Waika is released on the instruction of the DCO.
I came out, dusted the motorcycle and went straight ahead to the college. I quickly phoned Alh. Aminu to tell him about the release followed by a flood of thanks.    


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