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A senator assaulted and stripped in public in Abuja over an alleged adultery scandal was set up for humiliation by a political rival, the police have said, almost three years after the incident.
The police said this in response to a letter by PREMIUM TIMES requesting the outcome of investigation into the case.
Godiya Akwashiki, at the time the deputy speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly and senator-elect for Nasarawa North, was assaulted on March 1, 2019 by amob for allegedly seducing the wife of another politician from Nasarawa State, Danladi Envulanza.
The incident, which video recording immediately went viral, occurred at the Abuja residence of Mr Envulanza where the mob had taken Mr Akwashik after abducting him near Exclusive Stores, a popular supermarket in Abuja.
Mr Envulanza, a former official of the National Judicial Council (NJC), had run unsuccessfully for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. He is from the same Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area as Mr Akwashiki and both are members of the APC.
After his assault on March 1, 2019, Mr Akwashiki was taken to the Maitama Divisional Police headquarters in Abuja where Amina Danladi Halilu, the wife of Mr Envalunza, lodged a complaint of seduction against him.
However, following the failure of the police to arraign the senator for the alleged offence, or make any public statement on the issue, PREMIUM TIMES in December wrote a letter to the FCT Commissioner of Police seeking to know the outcome of police investigation of the case.
Following a reminder to the letter, the commissioner, through the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department of the FCT Police Command, Fom Pam Joseph, responded to the request in a letter dated January 12.
According to the police chief, police investigation did not establish the allegation by Mrs Envulanza that she was seduced. To the contrary, the investigation established defamation of character and some criminal offences against her husband.
“After a detailed and extensive investigation, the offence of inciting (seducing) a married woman contrary to section 389 of the Penal Code Law could not be established against Senator Godiya Akwashiki,” Mr Joseph stated in the letter.
The police official further stated: “From investigation and findings available, a prima facie case of criminal conspiracy, abduction, voluntarily causing hurt, assault, defamation of character and wrongful restraint contrary to sections 96, 272, 242, 264, 391 and 254 of the Penal Code Law, respectively were established against Danladi Halilu Envulanza “m”, Jamilu Halilu “m” and Abdullahi Aliyu Ogah “m”.”
On why those indicted by the investigation have not been prosecuted, the police official said the case was dropped at the instance of Mr Akwashiki after the parties reached an out-of-court settlement.
“However, during the pendency of this case, parties indicated their desire to settle out of court and on the strength of which the then Inspector-General of Police availed them the opportunity.
“Parties therefore settled amicably and a letter dated 08/04/2019 requesting for the withdrawal of the case was submitted by the Distinguished Senator Godiya Akwashiki.”
Mr Joseph in his letter provided the trend of events in the case from the first report to the police in Maitama on March 1, 2019.
“The case reported was that of inciting (sic) a married woman, criminal conspiracy, joint act, abduction, voluntarily causing hurt, assault, deformation (sic) of character and wrongful restraint contrary to sections 389, 96, 79, 272, 242, 264, 391 and 254 of the Penal Code Law, respectively. Initially reported at Maitama Divisional Police Headquarters by one Amina Danladi Halilu “f” on 1st March 2019 at about 0130 hrs against the then Senator-Elect Godiya Akwashiki “m”. The case was later transferred from the Division to the Command Criminal Investigation Department.
“The complainant, Amina Danladi Halilu “f” alleged that Senator Godiya Akwashiki “m” had demanded of her the phone number of her husband, Danladi Halilu Envulanza “m” looking for assistance in furtherance of his ambition of seeking the senatorial seat but later decided not to collect the number as the elections were close. That the senator then started making advances at her and she turned it down, but that when he kept on insisting, she informed her husband Danladi Halilu, and her children.
“Upon receipt of the complaint at Maitama Divisional Police Headquarters, the statement of the complainant, Amina Danladi Halilu “f” was recorded. The Senator Godiya Akwashiki “m” gave his voluntary statement under caution and was granted bail on the same day i.e. 1st March, 2019 before the case was transferred to the Command CID where statements were recorded.
“A letter was sent to the Chief Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia – Nasarawa State where the Senator Godiya Akwashiki claimed he received treatment following the beatings he received. The response from the hospital confirmed that he was assaulted physically.
“Investigations further revealed that the suspect was lured by the 1st complainant Amina Halilu Danladi “f” to a location at Exclusive Supermarket, Wuse, from where the senator was abducted to the residence of the said Danladi Halilu where they jointly, in furtherance of a common intention, wrongfully restraint and assaulted the Senator, leading also to the loss of his Samsung Phone.”
PREMIUM TIMES on Monday asked Mr Akwashiki for corroboration of the account provided by the police on the matter and why he agreed to an out-of-court settlement of the case.
In a telephone interview, the senator confirmed that he wrote a letter for the withdrawal of the case.
“Following the intervention of our governor, our traditional rulers and the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who is also from Nasarawa State, we agreed to settle the matter amicably,” Mr Akwashiki confirmed.
“After I wrote a letter for the withdrawal of the case, the police invited me and in the presence of the former FCT Police Commissioner, Bala Ciroma, who is now an AIG of Police, I confirmed that we had settled the case.”
Asked whether he obtained a public apology from Mr Envulanza, the senator said he did not.
“I decided to leave everything to God. Our leaders intervened and since I have been absolved of the accusation, I could not see what more can be added to it.
“We are from the same local government area and ethnic group so I decided to accept the well-meaning intervention of our leaders and move on,” Mr Akwashiki said.
Mr Envulanza did not respond to calls and a text message to his known telephone number requesting his comment for this report.
PT
