By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
A Special Adviser to Governor Agbu Kefas, Alhaji Bello Kasimu, has allegedly stabbed a 19-year-old mentally ill boy, Adamu Audu, in Jalingo, Taraba State.
Kasimu, who is also a contender for the Jalingo Local Government chairmanship seat in the forthcoming November 8 elections, was said to have repeatedly stabbed the victim before members of a vigilante group and the police intervened.
Speaking to journalists, a human rights activist, Gambo Dauda, said the incident occurred around 3 a.m. in the Karofi area of Jalingo. According to him, a night guard at a water factory, Mr. Tapawa, had alerted Kasimu — the owner of the company — that he had apprehended a suspected thief.
“Instead of asking questions or verifying the situation, Bello immediately took a knife and stabbed the boy several times,” Dauda alleged. “The cries of the victim attracted residents, vigilantes, and eventually the police, who came to his rescue.”
He added that residents and members of the vigilante group confirmed the victim was not a thief but a mentally challenged person well known in the neighborhood. “Our investigation also revealed that the victim is indeed mentally ill,” Dauda said.
The vigilantes reportedly handed the matter over to the Jalingo Police Division, while the victim is currently receiving treatment at the Police Clinic in Jalingo.
As of press time, the Taraba State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement, and calls to the command’s Public Relations Officer were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the accused, Alhaji Bello Kasimu, who initially promised to share his side of the story, later declined to respond to calls on the matter.
