A retired 64-year-old Assistant Superintendent of Police, Abdul Alkali, has described the tragic death of his two children pictured above.On April 26, his two sons were burned after their motorcycles were involved in an accident.
The children Patience (13) and Fate (19) were allegedly burned after an accident at the instigation of some men from Nasarawa State Youth Empowerment Scheme (NAYES).“God has inflicted a permanent wound in my whole life,”
he said in an interview at his Tundun-Gwandara residence in the state capital, Lafia, when he repelled the tears and threatened to take his own life.With an emotional voice, the desperate father recalled the accident, which resulted in the tragic end of his teenage children.Alkali quoted the last words fate had spoken to him before handing over the ghost at the Dalhatu Arab Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia, saying the two children were on a motorcycle when they met some NAYES officers.He said: “When I arrived at the hospital, I asked Destiny, who was still alive, what really happened because his body was burned.
“She said she was on a motorcycle with her sister when two NAYES officers on the side of the road tried to hit her with a stick.“She said she tried to dodge the stick out of fear but fell on the road.
“The motorcycle caught fire immediately and burned both of them as the NAYES officers went after them.“They were taken to the DASH on the same day, where they both surrendered after explaining in detail what had happened to them.“I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that all those involved in the death of my children are prosecuted to deter others.“God! What have I done to deserve this kind of punishment?
“How can I forget my two children? It’s not possible, because for me they were incredible.“I’ll miss them forever, with all that’s inside of me.”An eyewitness, Mr Mohammed Abu, who runs a pharmacy in the area where the incident took place, said the unfortunate event occurred in the vicinity of Doma Road, near the Diamond Bank and Access.
He noted that the dead were on a motorcycle, while a state proclamation, under the state’s COVID-19 prevention measures, prohibits private or commercial motorcycles from travelling in the city.He said the two brothers were killed when NAYES personnel pursued them with the aim of arresting them for violating a state government order.He said:
“This is how the two children died: when they were carrying fuel on their motorcycles, their accident stirred fires burned them to death.The general director of NAYES in the state, Labaran Maina, denied the claim that his men were responsible for the death of the two young brothers.Nasarawa State Police Commissioner, Bola Longe said the command was already investigating the death of the two brothers.