The Nigeria Police Force has 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 in
Taraba State.
A statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer,
Frank Mba, also demanded from the Army the whereabouts of a notorious
kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala Wadume, allegedly indicated in a series
of high-profile kidnap incidents in Taraba state.
“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.
