By Abdullahi Abdulfatai
A nursing mother in Kogi State has made a public appeal for intervention after alleging that her husband has been detained by police for days without being charged to court.
Tijani Onize Salamat, wife of Mr. Shaibu Abdulmumuni, said her husband and a friend were invited by the police over a political disagreement in Adavi Local Government Area.
According to her, Mr. Abdulmumuni, described as a law-abiding citizen, honored the invitation voluntarily with the expectation that the matter would be resolved transparently.
Instead, Mrs. Salamat said, both men were moved to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, where they have remained in detention.
“As a nursing mother, I cry out with a heavy heart for justice,” she stated on Wednesday.
“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.”*
Mrs. Salamat said she has been left to care for their child alone while facing physical and emotional exhaustion.
She is now asking a direct question of authorities: “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.”
In her appeal, 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 organizations, the media, and Nigerians who believe in justice to intervene.
“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.
Mrs. Salamat also linked the case to broader democratic principles, urging security institutions to act as protectors of justice.
“As our nation continues to strengthen its democracy, our security institutions must remain protectors of justice and not instruments of oppression or political intimidation.
“The rule of law must prevail over arbitrary actions.”
She stressed that she was not seeking special treatment, only due process.
“I am simply asking for justice. I am asking that my husband’s constitutional rights be respected.
“I am asking that he either be charged before a competent court without further delay or be released.”
“Please, hear my cry. Let justice speak. Let my husband come home,” she concluded.
As of press time, the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the detention.
Human rights advocates say prolonged detention without trial violates Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees that any person arrested must be brought before a court within a reasonable time.
