President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday ordered full investigation into the killing of three police intelligence officers on covert operation in Ibi, Jalingo, Taraba State, by military personnel serving in the state.
The killing is said to have resulted from poor communication between the military and the office of the Inspector General of Police in Abuja.
President Buhari had met behind closed doors with top members of the nation’s Security Council at the Presidential Villa, using the opportunity to set up a special committee to investigate the “unfortunate killing”.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, the Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, disclosed that the president set up a committee to investigate the “unfortunate incidents in Ibi, Taraba State”.
According to him, the committee would be constituted under the Defence Headquarters to unearth the truth on the incident.
The Air Chief also said that the council evaluated the current strategy of managing internal security operations all over the country and was satisfied with the current efforts being made by the security agencies to curtail crimes in the country.
“We are making substantial progress in all the areas of conflicts,” Sadique said.
The service chief, however, assured Nigerians that the armed forces of Nigeria and other security agencies would continue to work to ensure the security of Nigerians. He added they would also ensure that no individual or group of individuals undermine the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
Asked if the council discussed the issue of using technology and drones to fight crimes as earlier pledged to the south-west leaders, he said “technology will continue to play a very critical role in resolving security challenges in Nigeria”.
The NPF had on Wednesday accused some unidentified soldiers of shooting to death three police officers and a civilian along the Ibi-Jalingo Road, Taraba State. The police officers were taking an arrested suspect, Alhaji Hamisu, to the command headquarters in Jalingo when they were shot at by the soldiers.
The police spokesman said the victims were shot despite sufficient proof that they were police personnel on legitimate duty. The police alleged that several other officers were also injured during the attack.
But the Army spokesman, Sagir Musa, a colonel, countered the police claims stating that the policemen allegedly refused to stop at a military checkpoint and were trailed and shot dead by troops who had earlier received a distress call.
But the Nigeria Police Force, in a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, condemned the statement issued by the Nigerian Army allegedly justifying Wednesday’s killing of three police officers and a civilian by men of the Nigerian Army.
The statement also demanded from the Army the whereabouts of a notorious kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala Wadume, allegedly indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in Taraba State.
The development adds credence to several reports by BusinessDay on the challenges of inter-agency collaboration in the nation’s security system. The challenge had led to failed operations in several security operations, in some instances with dire consequences for the fight against crimes, especially insurgency.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the Press Release by the Nigerian Army dated 07 August, 2019, seeking to justify the unprovoked and unwarranted murder of three (3) Police officers and one (1) Civilian, and serious injury to other operatives, who were on legitimate criminal investigation activities to Taraba State, to arrest one Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in the State.
“In the best tradition of Esprit de Corps, Inter-Agency Harmony and National Interest, the Nigeria Police Force would naturally have kept quiet, but it has become imperative to set the records straight by addressing the obvious distortion of facts inherent in the Press Release by the Nigerian Army,” the statement said.
The Police added that the most important question arising from the Nigerian Army Press Release is: Where is Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume? The police stated that Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume is a millionaire kidnapper arrested by the Police but paradoxically treated as a ‘‘kidnap victim’’ by the Soldiers and subsequently ‘rescued’ by them.
“Where is he? Where is the rescued kidnapper?” the police asked. The Police also noted that the Army Press Release was silent on the source of the alleged distress report or identity of the complainant, on the strength of whose report, the Army claimed had informed their decision to engage in the purported chase and rescue operation.
“Needless to state that in the true spirit of transparency and accountability, the Nigerian Army ought to have arrested the purported distress caller – if any – for obviously and deliberately furnishing them with false and misleading information. Besides, such arrest should in fact be made public!” the police said.
The police also claimed that it is not true that the Policemen failed to identify themselves as alleged in the Army Press Release. The Police said the video on the incident, now viral, wherein the voice of one of the soldiers was heard loudly proclaiming that the Policemen were from the Force Headquarters, Abuja speaks volume. The Police added that besides, the presence of the IRT personnel was well known to the Taraba Police Command as the Operatives officially and properly documented not only at the State Command Headquarters but also at the Wukari Area Command and the Ibi Divisional Headquarters. “As a matter of fact, some of the Detectives from the Taraba State Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were part of the operation,” the statement said.
“The Force also considers it insensitive, disrespectful and unpatriotic for the Press Release by the Army to continue to describe Policemen on lawful National Assignment as ‘suspected kidnappers’ long after it had become crystal clear to the Army that these are Law Enforcement Officers who unfortunately were gruesomely murdered in the line of duty by Nigerian soldiers attached to 93 Battalion, Takum.
“In the final analysis, we leave the Nigerian Army authorities to provide Nigerians with answers on the following questions emanating from their Press Release: Where is the notorious kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume ‘rescued’ by the soldiers? How and why was Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume released by the soldiers? How could a kidnap suspect properly restrained with handcuffs by the Police escape from the hands of his military rescuers?
“If Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume is a ‘victim of kidnap’ as claimed, and properly rescued by soldiers, why was he not taken to the Army Base for documentation purposes and debriefing in line with the Standard Operating Procedure in the Nigerian Army?
“Why were the Police Operatives shot at close range even after they had identified themselves as Police Officers on legitimate duty as evident in the video now in circulation?” the police asked.
TONY AILEMEN & INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja
