Kaduna Police Arrest Ex-Constabulary Over Threat to Attack Southerners After Edo Lynching Incident

The Kaduna State Police Command has disowned and arrested one Hadaina Hussaini following a viral social media post in which he threatened to launch retaliatory attacks on Southerners residing in Northern Nigeria. His threat was reportedly in response to the lynching of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo State last month.

Hussaini, seen in a widely circulated photo wearing a police uniform, made the inflammatory remarks in a comment under a Facebook post. However, authorities have clarified that he is not a serving officer.

In an official statement released on Friday by the Kaduna State Police Command and shared on the Nigerian Police Complaints Response Unit’s (CRU) X (formerly Twitter) page, police spokesperson Mansir Hassan described Hussaini as a dismissed member of the Police Special Constabulary—a voluntary outfit distinct from the regular Nigeria Police Force.

“He does not belong to the Nigeria Police Force and is not an officer of the Kaduna State Police Command,” the statement emphasized.

According to the police, the uniformed image of Hussaini currently circulating on social media dates back to when he served as a volunteer constable, and even then, the photo shows him improperly dressed. He was dismissed from the Police Special Constabulary nearly two years ago due to what authorities described as “questionable character.”

The police further urged the public to observe the identifier “PSC/KD” on his uniform, indicating his former affiliation with the Police Special Constabulary in Kaduna.

“The suspect has been arrested and will be charged to court upon completion of preliminary investigations in accordance with extant laws,” the statement confirmed.

Background: The Edo Lynching Incident

The threats issued by Hussaini followed a tragic mob attack in Uromi, Edo State, where 16 travellers—mistaken for kidnappers—were lynched by a local vigilante group and youth mobs in March.

The victims, believed to be hunters travelling from Rivers State to Kano for the Sallah holiday, were reportedly stopped, dragged from their vehicle, brutally beaten, and burned alive.

The horrifying act of mob justice has been widely condemned by human rights groups and public figures, including Amnesty International, the Nigerian Bar Association, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In response, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State suspended illegal vigilante groups operating in the state.