Mother raises alarm as police detain her 10-year-old son in Niger

Rakia Aliu has slammed the Niger State Police Command for detaining her 10-year-old son over alleged theft of some maize.

It was gathered that the boy, Ibrahim Sani, allegedly stole about nine “mudu” of maize from a grinding shop in the Kontagora area of the state and sold it to another person.

According to The Punch, the minor was eventualy apprehended and handed over to members of a local vigilante group.

Rakia said that her child was detained on account that the man who bought the maize from him had to appear for questioning.

But, the buyer who doesn’t stay in the area, was said to have already settled the matter with the “vigilante group” after paying for 15 mudus of the maize.

The troubled mother revealed that police showed up during the investigation, arrested her son and detained him on Wednesday.

Rakia said; “He went to the police station around 6pm on Wednesday, they took him away and locked him in the cell till the following morning.”

“Now, they want to see the man in the police station that bought the corns from the boy. The boy is still being detained until they see the man. The man is not living here in Kontagura and the boy has been detained since Wednesday.”

Police Public Relations Officer for Niger State, Wasiu Alabi, confirmed that Ibrahim was in custody and investigation was ongoing to apprehend the receiver. He said the boy was only assisting with investigations.

“It’s not everything that is detention. There’s what we call protective custody, what if the boy is being kept with the police on protective base? It’s not like they will go and keep the boy in the same cell with criminals. It’s not everybody in the police station who is under arrest or detention that is kept with criminals.

“He’s assisting the police to get the receiver. There’s what we call a juvenile offender, it doesn’t mean the boy has not committed an offence,” he said.