Mother demands justice after 15-year old allegedly beaten to death by Taraba Marshal operatives

A grieving mother has appealed to the Taraba State Government and relevant authorities to investigate the death of her 15-year-old son, Busang Ayuka, who she alleged was brutally assaulted while in the custody of operatives of the Taraba State security outfit, Taraba Marshal.

The incident reportedly occurred in Angwan Alfa, Selti B, Gashaka Local Government Area of Taraba State.

According to the family, the teenager was allegedly beaten during detention on Sunday before being taken to a hospital in Gashaka. His condition later deteriorated, and he was transferred to UMCN Hospital, Mile 6, Jalingo, where he died on Friday.

Speaking exclusively to NATIONAL ACCORD, the deceased’s mother, Hasena Ayuka, said the incident began after one of her son’s friends accused him of taking an MP3 player and a power bank.

“In the late hours of Friday, my son’s friend came to me that he is have a problem with my son Busang, that he has taken his MP3 and a Power Bank. That very night, the same friend went and reported the matter to the office of Taraba Marshal.

“My son was arrested by the men of the Taraba Marshal. The next day, which was Sunday, the officers of the Taraba Marshal invited me to come to the CRCN Hospital, Gashaka. I went there and saw my son half dead.”

Hasena said the operatives informed her that her son had developed an ulcer while in custody, a claim she strongly disputed.

“They alleged that while in their custody, he developed ulcer. My son is not known with such illness. He has no such history since he was born.

“From my observations, my son had a broken neck, some parts of his body were swollen, and he could not talk to me from that moment until the point of his death. The issue became unbearable, so we moved him to UMCN Mile 6, Jalingo, where he died in the early hours of today (Friday).”

She added that the body had since been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre morgue and called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.

“The men of the Taraba Marshal have taken the corpse to FMC morgue. I am calling on the government and the appropriate authorities to investigate the death of my son. Myself and the entire family want to know why my son was killed. No matter what, let there be justice for Busang.”

Reacting to the allegation, the Commandant of the Taraba State Marshal, CP Agyole Abeh (Rtd.), said any operative found to have acted outside the law would be held accountable.

Speaking by telephone from the United States, Abeh stressed that personnel of the security outfit are not empowered to use unlawful force during investigations.

“I believe the teenager in question has parents or relatives. The matter should be reported to the DPO of the area. The people on duty at the time of the incident should be prosecuted and, if they are found wanting, the law should catch up with them.”

The Commandant maintained that no member of the Taraba Marshal has the authority to conduct an investigation in a manner that results in the death of a suspect.

The incident has sparked calls for an independent investigation as the bereaved family seeks justice for the deceased teenager.