DPO Faces Probe Over Alleged Overnight Stay of 15-Year-Old Girl at His Residence While in Custody

The International Human Rights Today Initiative (HRTI), a leading non-governmental organization dedicated to human rights advocacy, has lodged a formal petition with the Katsina State Police Command against a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Dutsinma, CSP Bello Gusau.

The petition accuses the officer of allegedly taking a 15-year-old girl, who was in police custody, to his private residence where she reportedly spent the night.

According to HRTI, led by Comrade Maiyasin, its independent investigation confirmed that the girl was kept overnight at the DPO’s home rather than at the police station as officially claimed.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Maiyasin disclosed that the Katsina State Commissioner of Police, CP Aliyu Musa, has treated the matter with seriousness by setting up an investigative panel. The officer in question has been suspended pending the outcome of the probe.

Findings by HRTI revealed that the teenager had earlier gone missing before being found and taken to Dutsinma Police Station. Because it was late, she was supposed to remain at the station overnight.

However, CSP Gusau allegedly informed the girl’s relatives—who had arrived to take her home—that he would personally return her the next morning.

When the family returned to bring her food the following day, they were told she was no longer at the station. After a heated exchange with officers, the girl was brought back but was reportedly dressed in different clothes from the previous night.

HRTI said the girl herself confirmed she spent the night at the DPO’s residence, a testimony which they documented. Her father has vowed to pursue justice for his daughter through the appropriate legal channels.

Confirming the development, the Katsina State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said the case is under investigation, assuring that the process would be thorough and ensure accountability.

The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

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