A 20-year-old man, Aliyu Nuhu, has sustained serious head injuries after vigilante members allegedly drove a five-inch nail into his skull over claims that he stole a chicken in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The victim’s father, Mallam Salisu Nuhu, popularly known as Babande, confirmed the incident and accused two local vigilante members of carrying out the assault.
According to Babande, he had sent his son to sell a chicken at the market when vigilantes apprehended him on suspicion of theft.
“They detained him and interrogated him with severe punishment, to the extent of nailing a five-inch nail into his head,” he alleged.
Babande said he became concerned when his son did not return home.
He was later approached by a vigilante member who asked him to come to their office in Anguwar Sirdi, Limancin Kona Ward, where he was informed that his son had been arrested for theft.
He said the vigilantes initially demanded N5,000 as bail but eventually allowed him to take his son home when he explained that he did not have the money.
It was after returning home that he noticed visible injuries on his son’s head and was told that a nail had been driven into it during interrogation.
The family returned to the vigilante office and then proceeded to a nearby chemist with one of the suspects, identified as Nuhu.
The chemist reportedly referred the victim to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, for further treatment. Babande said hospital authorities requested a police report before commencing treatment.
According to him, the nail remained lodged in his son’s head for 13 days before it was surgically removed. He added that the family spent over N800,000 on medical expenses.
Speaking on the incident, the victim alleged that one Nuhu Dan Banga hammered the nail into his head during interrogation, adding that he lost consciousness during the ordeal.
Confirming the case, the Divisional Police Officer of Zaria City Division, Nura Abubakar, said one suspect has been arrested while another remains at large. He assured that the suspects would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of investigations.
