The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested three members of a vigilante group over the death of a 39 year old man, Abdulrazak Ibrahim, while in their custody in the Bakin Kura area of Bauchi Local Government Area.
The command, in a statement issued on Friday by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, said the incident was reported to the police on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at about 6:39pm.
According to the statement, the deceased was taken to the vigilante office following a theft complaint lodged by his mother, Hauwa Ibrahim.
Habib said Abdulrazak was invited to assist the vigilantes in investigating the alleged theft, recovering the stolen property and identifying possible recipients of the items.
He, however, said the man died while in the custody of the vigilante members.
“During the process, Abdulrazak Ibrahim died while in the custody of the vigilantes,” Habib said.
Following the report, the command said detectives from the ‘A’ Division Township were immediately deployed to the scene to commence investigation.
The three vigilantes who were on duty when the incident occurred were subsequently arrested and detained to assist the police in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the death.
The deceased’s remains were evacuated to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi and deposited at the mortuary for preservation.
The police spokesman said a physical examination of the body showed no visible signs of violence, adding that an autopsy would be conducted to determine the actual cause of death.
Habib said the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, had ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, stressing that anyone found culpable would face the law.
The command also warned vigilante groups and other individuals against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that jungle justice and extrajudicial actions would not be tolerated.
The PPRO appealed for calm, assuring residents that the police would make the outcome of the investigation public after the process had been concluded.