BREAKING: Police Summon Former Bauchi Polytechnic Deputy Rector Over Alleged Assault, Threats Against Ex-Student

The Bauchi State Police Command has summoned the former Deputy Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Dr. Dalhatu Sa’idu Abubakar, for interrogation over allegations of physical assault, criminal intimidation, unlawful seizure of a mobile phone and threats allegedly made against a former student of the school, Nuhu Nazif Muhammad.

The invitation followed a formal complaint submitted to the Commissioner of Police by Baushe Chambers, solicitors to Muhammad, an ex-Higher National Diploma (HND) student of the Department of Mass Communication and former President of the Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA) during the 2024/2025 academic session.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the case has now been taken over by the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) at the Bauchi State Police Headquarters.

“Following the petition filed by Muhammad’s lawyers at Baushe Chambers, the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Bauchi State Police Headquarters has adopted his official statement regarding the physical assault, illegal seizure of his phone, and alleged threats by the former Deputy Rector, Dr. Dalhatu Sa’idu Abubakar,” a source told SaharaReporters.

It was disclosed that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) handling the matter had already established contact with the former deputy rector after reviewing his statement and the petition submitted by his legal representatives.

According information available to SaharaReporters, “The IPO contacted him directly, and he claimed to be out of town.”

It was added that after the conversation, the police directed the former deputy rector to appear before investigators at the State Police Headquarters.

“The police have formally instructed him to report to the VCRU office on Monday, July 27, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. unfailingly for interrogation,” a source familiar with the developments said.

“Muhammad’s legal team and himself will be at the station to see the process through.”

The police invitation marks the latest development in a dispute that has pitted the former student against both a senior official of the polytechnic and the institution itself following the events surrounding the release of his academic records after graduation.

According to the petition filed by Baushe Chambers on July 9, 2026, Muhammad alleged that the incident leading to the criminal complaint occurred after he made efforts to obtain his HND result, which he required to pursue postgraduate studies abroad.

The law firm stated in its petition that Muhammad completed his HND programme in the Department of Mass Communication in 2025 and expected to receive his result after graduation.

However, according to the lawyers, repeated efforts to obtain the result proved unsuccessful.

The petition stated that when Muhammad visited the Registrar’s Office in the first week of January 2026 to collect the result, officials informed him that it was not yet ready.

The lawyers explained that the delay became particularly significant because Muhammad had applied for “an International Scholarship to study masters in Mass Communication and Advocacy” and was approaching the deadline for submitting the required academic documents.

According to the petition, in a bid to resolve the matter, Muhammad sent a text message on January 5, 2026, to Dr. Abubakar, who was then serving as Deputy Rector of the Polytechnic.

The petition stated, “The suspect then responded to the complainant vide text massage that he should meet him in the office at the college premises.”

Although the petition did not elaborate on everything that transpired during the meeting, it alleged that the encounter culminated in criminal intimidation, assault, criminal force and threats against Muhammad, prompting his lawyers to petition the Commissioner of Police and request a formal criminal investigation.

The criminal complaint is one of two petitions filed by the law firm on behalf of Muhammad.

In a separate petition addressed to the Registrar of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, the lawyers also challenged what they described as their client’s unlawful dismissal from the institution.

According to the petition, Muhammad was an HND student in the Department of Mass Communication and also served as President of the Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA) during the 2024/2025 academic session before completing his programme in 2025.

The lawyers maintained that despite graduating, their client was denied his academic documents.

According to the petition, when Muhammad eventually visited the polytechnic to collect his HND result and certificate, he was allegedly handed an expulsion letter instead.

The petition stated, “Nazif was not issued his H.N.D. result/certificate from the polytechnic after his graduation instead he was given an expulsion letter when he went to collect his result to attach same to the offer of an International scholarship to study masters in Mass Communication and Advocacy at University of Doha in Qatar.”

The solicitors argued that the dismissal failed to comply with the principles of fair hearing.

“It is our contention that Nuhu Nazif Muhammad was dismissed without being informed of the specific allegations against him and without being given an opportunity to defend himself, and without adherence to the principles of fair…” the petition stated.

The lawyers urged the management of Federal Polytechnic Bauchi to conduct what they described as a proper investigation into the circumstances surrounding the dismissal and the withholding of Muhammad’s academic records.

Meanwhile, attention has shifted to the police investigation following the decision of the VCRU to invite the former Deputy Rector for questioning.