A 20-year-old man, Aliyu Nuhu, is recovering from a horrific head injury after vigilante members in Zaria, Kaduna State, allegedly hammered a five-inch nail into his skull over a disputed claim that he stole a chicken.

Aliyu’s father, Mallam Salisu Nuhu, popularly known as Babande, said he had sent his son to the market to sell a chicken belonging to the family. On the way, Aliyu was reportedly accosted by local vigilante operatives who accused him of theft and took him to their office at Anguwar Sirdi in Limancin Kona Ward.

According to Babande, the vigilantes detained and interrogated the young man, subjecting him to severe torture. During the ordeal, one of the operatives allegedly drove a five-inch nail into Aliyu’s head. The father said he was later invited to the vigilante office and informed that his son had been arrested for stealing a chicken.

He recounted that the vigilantes demanded N5,000 as bail before Aliyu could be released. When he insisted he had no money, they eventually allowed him to take his son home. It was only after they returned that he noticed blood and swelling on Aliyu’s head. Neighbours and relatives, he said, raised the alarm when they learned that a nail had been driven into the young man’s skull.

Babande said he rushed back to the vigilante office with his son and one of the suspects, identified simply as Nuhu, and from there they proceeded to a nearby chemist. The chemist, on seeing the gravity of the injury, referred them to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, where doctors insisted on a police report before commencing treatment.

The father said the nail remained lodged in Aliyu’s head for 13 days before surgeons removed it. He added that the family spent more than N800,000 on medical bills, forcing them to sell property and rely on community support.

Aliyu, speaking weakly from his hospital bed, identified a vigilante member known as Nuhu Dan Banga as the person who hammered the nail into his head during interrogation. He said he lost consciousness during the torture and only woke up in hospital.

The Divisional Police Officer of Zaria City Division, Nura Abubakar, confirmed the incident and said one suspect had been arrested while another remained at large. He gave an assurance that the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.