Mohammed Galadima Damina, who served as a commissioner of Information and also as a commissioner of Special duties in Bauchi state, has been taken into police custody for allegedly killing his close friend, Adamu Babanta, who confronted him for making sexual advances at his teenage daughter.
As reported by LIB, the incident happened on Sunday, 30 Octobe, at about 5:30pm. It was reported that Damina had also caught Babanta with his own daughter that same Sunday evening.
Babanta’s relative who pleaded anonymous narrated the story thus :
“Galadiman Dass and my late brother were friends and neighbours. It was alleged that Galadima attempted to have a sexual relationship with the 18-year-old girl, daughter of his late friend. He had been making advances at her by sending recharge cards,” the source narrated.
“The girl reported to her mother who then told the father but he did not believe the story. Then yesterday (Sunday), he called the girl and sent her a message that she should meet him at the Total filling station by 5pm so that they can go out.
“The girl informed her father who then asked her to go as planned and that he will follow her to ascertain the situation. As expected, Galadima was waiting at the point while the father was watching as the girl arrived.
“Galadima asked her to enter the car after he had opened the door but at that point, the father came out and confronted his friend expressing anger. He then tried to run away but there was a struggle between them which led to him pushing the late Adamu out of the car. He hit his head on the pavement of the road, and the back tyre of the car crushed his legs and broke the bones. He died on the way to the hospital.”
Khadija, the victim of the sexual harassment and daughter of the late Adamu Babanta, told journalists that Damina had gotten her number from her friend and that the former commissioner has been asking her out ever since.
“Yesterday (Sunday) evening, Galadima called me while I was in the shop and asked me to meet him around the Yelwan Tundu market. So, I informed my father, his friend about it and he asked me to go,” she explained.
“I was in a Keke while my father took a bike, when we got there he asked me to enter his car. I said he should wait, then my father came out to confront him. They were dragging his car, he wanted to escape with me, then I came out of the vehicle. He drove roughly with my dad’s hands in his car, trying to turn off the engine. From there he hit him on a pole and he died,” Khadija said.
She added that Damina zoomed off, leaving her father’s lifeless body lying on the road.
The incident caused protest, which led to road blockage. According to reports, it took the intervention of security men and the town’s Monarch to control the situation.
SP Ahmed Wakil, spokesperson of the state Police Command who formally confirmed the incident to journalists said;
“Yesterday October 30, 2022, at about 7.30pm, a case of fatal motor accident was transferred from the Yelwa Division for a discreet investigation, it was a case of culpable homicide.
“One Khadijah Adamu Babanta, was enticed by one man, Mohammed Damina, Galadiman Dass, 68-year-old resident of Yelwa. When Galadima enticed her, she told her father about it, then she told the father that the said man was waiting for her at a filling station.
“Her father followed her to the place. On getting there, the father, now deceased, confronted Galadima through the passenger’s side of his car, as they were discussing, Galadima zoomed off the vehicle while the deceased was still hanging on to the car door to a point he fell and was rushed to ATBUTH for medical attention but was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.”
He added that the suspect is in Police custody for further investigation.
