Leadership (Abuja)
Abdulmumin S. Balogun and Lawal Sa'idu
2 November 2009
Katsina — One of President Umaru Yar'Adua's political associates died yesterday in police custody while undergoing interrogation in connection with the political disturbances in Katsina State. The late politician, Tasi Elder, was said to have been rushed to the hospital from the office of the state police commissioner.
A political associate of late Elder, who spoke with LEADERSHIP on the phone, said he accompanied the politician to the police commissioner's office. Insisting that his name should not be mentioned in print, he narrated the sequence of events to LEADERSHIP.
"I escorted him to the police commissioner's office at about 10am. He requested that I should get his lawyer so I left to get the lawyer.
"I was away for about 40 minutes. When I returned with the lawyer I was told by the police commissioner's orderly, that they (Elder and the commissioner), were in a meeting and that I should wait.
"I waited for sometime, went out and came back, but learnt the police had rushed him (Tasi Elder) to the emergency wing of the Federal Medical Centre. Later Tasi Elder was pronounced dead. These people are terrible. The kind of politics being played in Katsina is terrible."
The state commissioner of Police, Mr. Dan'azumi Job Doma who confirmed the death of Alhaji Tasi Elder to newsmen alleged that during the meeting in his office the deceased became motionless from where he was rushed to Federal Medical centre where he was certified dead.
The commissioner noted that the incident happened in his office, where the state SSS Director, Commanding Officer of the Katsina Army barracks and Senior Police Officers of the command were present.
Also present at the meeting according to the commissioner, were the Mashi Local Government chairman, the Mashi PDP Chairman and two of the deceased supporters.
The commissioner disclosed that the meeting was called to discuss the weekend clash of supporters of Tasi Elder and those of the Local Government Chairman.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the clash at the weekend was between the supporter of Tasi Elder who was believed to be a staunch supporter of Alhaji Abba Sayyadi Ruma and those of the local government Chairman who was a supporter of the incumbent governor of the state.
The clash on the same day was also extended to Musawa local government where supporters of the minister and a serving Senator Alhaji Yakubu Lado Danmarke clashed with the supporters of the state governor Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema.
The commissioner of Police however said a post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of his death.
However, some supporters of the deceased who spoke to Leadership on condition of anonymity alleged that there was foul play in circumstances leading to his death.
Alhaji Tasi Elder who is believed to be about 55 years old according to a family source was not known to have any health complications.
A source told Leadership that the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Alhaji Abba Sayyadi Ruma has put on hold his burial until doctors certified by them conducted autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Another supporter of the late Tasi Elder insisted that there was something shoddy about his death. The supporter like others wondered why he had to die in the office of the police commissioner, describing his death as too sudden. It will be recalled that the late Tasi Elder was opposed to Governor Ibrahim Shema.
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