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18th November, 2009
The President and Commander-in-Chief
of the Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso Villa,
Abuja.
Your Excellency,
ANOTHER UNRESOLVED MURDER:
HIGH LEVEL CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY AND
COMPLICITY IN THE MURDER OF ALHAJI TASIU
UMAR MASHI:
A CALL TO INVESTIGATE THE ALLEGED
INVOLVEMENT OF THE FOLLOWING PERSONS:
(1) ALHAJI IBRAHIM SHEMA,
THE KATSINA STATE GOVERNOR
(2) COMMISSIONER OF POLICE,
KATSINA
STATE
(3) THE CHAIRMAN,
MASHI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,
KATSINA
STATE
(4) ALHAJI SALISU MAJIGIRI,
MEMBER REPRESENTING MASHI/DUTSI FEDERAL
CONSTITUENCY OF
KATSINA
STATE.
We are solicitors to the family of late
Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi (popularly
known as Tasi Elder).
The cases of unresolved murders in this
country are growing by the day and
becoming a national embarrassment. That
is why we have decided to write you
personally because of the possible high
level complicity and the involvement of
the Katsina State Police Command in this
case and the delayed investigation
despite several petitions and outcry by
the family and friends of the deceased,
concerned individuals, the nation and
the international community.
The facts of this case which is already
rife in the press are briefly as
follows:
The late Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi was a
leading member of the Peoples Democratic
Party in
Katsina State, and an avowed critic of
the misgovernance of the State by the
Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema.
On the 1st day of November,
2009, the Commissioner of Police,
allegedly acting on the instruction of
the Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema
extended an invitation to late Alhaji
Tasiu Umar Mashi.
Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi, sensing danger,
had informed his lawyer of the
invitation and requested that Chief
Ernest Obunadike should accompany him to
honour the invitation. Chief Ernest
Obunadike had requested Alhaji Tasiu
Umar Mashi to leave Mashi immediately
and meet him in Katsina so that he would
personally accompany him to the
Commissioner’s office. On learning that
the Commissioner of Police had stationed
his men in all the roads in order to get
him arrested, Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi
decided to spend the night in Mashi.
The next day, Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi in
company of Mr. Ahmed Dantata, Abdullahi
Shaa’ibu, and Abdullahi Garba, proceeded
to the Commissioner’s office to honour
the invitation while he asked one
Abdulahi Ibrahim to go and bring his
lawyer.
Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi, Mr. Ahmed
Dantata, Abdullahi Shaa’ibu, and
Abdullahi Garba, arrived the Police
Station and while waiting for the
Commissioner who was not on sit, saw the
Chairman of Mashi Local Government Area
(who is a strong loyalist of the State
Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema) in
company of his loyalists in the
premises.
The Commissioner came in shortly
thereafter and summoned the Mashi Local
Government Chairman and his loyalists
and the late Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi to
his office. When Mr. Ahmed Dantata,
Abdullahi Shaa’ibu, and Abdullahi Garba,
sought to accompany Alhaji Tasiu Umar
Mashi to the Commissioner’s office in
view of the fact that all the other
parties were the Chairman’s loyalists
and political rivals of Alhaji Tasiu
Umar Mashi, but their request was
bluntly turned down by the Commissioner
of Police.
Shortly thereafter, Chief Ernest
Obunadike was brought to the Police
Station but was refused any access to
Alhaji Umar Mashi. He was told that
Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi, was being
interrogated. After waiting for quite
some time, Chief Ernest Obunadike
received an urgent call from his office
and rushed back to his office.
Later, Chief Ernest Obunadike returned
to the Station only to be told that
Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi, collapsed
during the purported interrogation and
was taken to the Federal Medical Centre,
Katsina.
On reaching the hospital, the medical
doctor who examined Alhaji Tasiu Umar
Mashi informed Chief Ernest Obunadike in
the presence of his associates that
Alhaji Tasiu Umar Mashi died long hours
ago before he was brought to the
hospital.
Several petitions have been written and
facts of this case reported by local and
international medium, yet no step have
been taken towards bringing the indicted
persons to face the law. No person has
been arrested or questioned.
Katsina state appears to be under siege
by some few powerful individuals who
have stationed their men all over the
nooks and crannies of the state to
forestall any genuine investigation of
this dastardly act. This accounts for
why no single arrest has been made.
We humbly urge you to act fast and save
this country from this national
embarrassment by launching a
high-powered investigation into this
case and bring the culprits to book.
Nobody, no matter how placed, is above
the law.
The family of our client, the deceased
person’s friends and relatives, the
nation and the international community
are waiting and crying for justice.
The evil men who perpetrated this
dastardly act must not be allowed to
make nonsense of the rule of law.
Thank you.
Yours most trusted,
FESTUS KEYAMO, ESQ.
HEAD OF CHAMBERS
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