Nursing Mother Appeals to IGP Over Husband’s Alleged Prolonged Detention in Kogi

A nursing mother, Tijani Onize Salamat, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu and the Kogi State Police Command to release her husband, Shaibu Abdulmumuni, alleging that he has been held in police custody for more than a week without being charged to court.

Salamat claimed that her husband was arrested following a political disagreement involving some prominent political figures in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

According to her, Abdulmumuni was initially invited by the police after the incident, detained in Adavi, and later transferred to the Kogi State Police Command headquarters in Lokoja, where he has remained in custody.

“All I know is that there was a political argument between my husband and some top political personalities in Adavi Local Government. After the argument, my husband was invited by the police, detained, transferred from Adavi to Lokoja and has been denied his freedom till date,” she said.

The nursing mother expressed concern over her inability to see her husband since his detention, describing the situation as emotionally and physically exhausting.

“As a nursing mother, I cry out with a heavy heart for justice. I have made every effort to see my husband, but I have been denied the comfort of knowing his condition. Every day that passes feels like a lifetime. The emotional pain, fear and uncertainty have taken a serious toll on my health,” she said.

She added that she has been left to care for their child alone while coping with the emotional and financial burden of her husband’s continued detention.

Questioning the basis for his detention, Salamat urged the authorities to either charge him before a competent court or release him immediately.

“What crime has my husband committed that justifies keeping him behind bars without trial? If there is any allegation against him, let him be taken before a competent court. If there is none, let him regain his freedom and return to his family,” she appealed.

She called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, the Police Public Relations Officer, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, the media and Nigerians to intervene in the matter.

“No family should suffer this kind of pain. No wife should have to beg to see her husband. No child should be deprived of a father’s love because of prolonged detention without due process,” she said.

Salamat also urged security agencies to uphold the principles of justice and democracy, insisting that security institutions should not be used as instruments of political intimidation.

“I am asking that he either be charged before a competent court without further delay or be released,” she added.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official statement regarding the alleged detention.

Legal and human rights advocates have consistently maintained that prolonged detention without trial may contravene Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees the right to personal liberty and requires that arrested persons be brought before a court within a reasonable time.