*Police, Army’s rift deepens as two panels probe killings

rmy hierarchy has arrested the captain who allegedly ordered the killing of three operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at Ibi, Taraba State.

A source, who disclosed this, said the captain was arrested on Saturday by the Army, but was yet to be handed over to the police for interrogation and possible prosecution.

It was also learnt that bodies of three policemen and the civilian have been moved to a mortuary in Abuja.

According to report, the remains of the officers were conveyed to Abuja early yesterday morning. They were moved to Garki General Hospital and kept in a mortuary, waiting to be buried.

The three policemen and the civilian were part of the 10 men who went to Ibi town to arrest an alleged notorious kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Wadume.

Moments after successfully arresting the suspect, the IRT operatives came under a hail of bullets by soldiers at a checkpoint on Ibi-Jalingo Road. The sudden attack on the bus of the operatives caused their vehicle to somersault. While other operatives escaped into the bush, those alive were shot on the stomach and chest by the soldiers, who then tagged them kidnappers. The soldiers then freed Wadume.

Meanwhile, the crack in the relationship between the Nigerian Army and Police may have deepened since the killing of three police operatives by soldiers in Taraba State.

New Telegraph recalls that three police officers attached to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) – Inspector Mark Ediale, Sergeants Usman Danzumi and Dahiru Musa, and a civilian were shot and killed by soldiers in Ibi area of Taraba State.

According to the Police, these members of the special force were killed on their way to Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, shortly after arresting a suspected kidnap kingpin, one Alhaji Hamisu Wadume, said to have been involved in high-profile cases of kidnapping.

The Army, in its reaction, had claimed that the soldiers had mistaken the slain policemen for suspected kidnappers.

There have been no love lost since the tragic incident, as the Police insisted that the killing may have been premeditated.

Signs that all may not be well between the two security agencies emerged at the weekend, when a high-powered investigative team ordered by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, arrived Jalingo.

The panel, which is headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigative Department (FCIID), Mr. Mike Ogbizi, commenced work despite the inauguration of a seven-man panel by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin.

In the wake of the Taraba killing, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Defence Headquarters to constitute a panel of investigation, to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident

A statement last Friday by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the inauguration of the panel was in compliance with the presidential directive.

According to Nwachukwu, the Joint Investigation Panel, which had membership drawn from the Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as the Defence Intelligence Agency, had commenced work.

It is headed by Rear Admiral IT Olaiya.

A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence with New Telegraph, said the arrival of DIG Ogbizi-led team in a day the DHQ issued a statement about the constitution of a panel “speaks volumes of the anger over the killing of the highly-trained IRT operatives.”

According to him, “the Police want to get to the root of the murder of their officers and possibly the re-arrest the fleeing kidnap suspect.”

He asked in a rhetorical tone: “Does the labelling of the slain policemen as ‘suspected kidnappers’ by the Army not worry well-meaning people?”

In his reaction, however, the Acting DDI said he was not aware of any parallel panel investigating the killing, other than the one constituted by the DHQ.

“The Joint Investigation Panel convened by the Chief of Defence Staff is in compliance with the directive of the President and the Commander-in-Chief.

“I am not aware of any parallel investigative body. The Nigeria Police and other relevant services are adequately represented in the Joint Investigation Panel,” Nwachukwu said.

Several calls put to the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, for comments were not answered.

Also, text messages sent to them had yet to be responded to as at the time of filing this report.

https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2019/08/taraba-killing-captain-arrested-as-policemens-bodies-arrive-abuja/

OK another version of d story.
I was just waiting for this story to hit front page.
2moro we'll hear another story this is Naija.
Kidnapper pay soldier for protection and it might be he got it. How will u shoot at a moving vehicle lile Sarz do that's not shooting at you. If you believe this story then you'll believe your dad gave birth to you instead of your mum.

Panels upon panels until the matter dies off, this is Nigeria!

Buratai & his men cannot get away with this.

mykelswa:
OK another version of d story

What version are you talking about

The wicked/kidnapper captain arrested, very good. I hope its true not just cover up again.

Faa ncha bu ndi ala mtcheeew

Pics,or I don't believe poo

Till date,I never see pics of the 4 soldiers that stole

We need justice, the captain is an enemy in the camp, he should be executed at the firing squad

Army should not even be on the roads. Na police work be thar

A panel will be set up after which the matter will be buried silently.

This country is truly a jungle, unprofessionalism at it's peak. You can imagine our useless force men killing themselves with hopeless abandon. I spit on this country.

We can't wait to get to the root of this matter.

Heads must roll if the news coming from the police is the true version.

What a sad incident.

RIP Gallant Officers.

The screenshot below by a certain person may not be far from the truth!

Lol

For me to believe this, each arrest should be widely televised

Prosecution is not military work, it is police duty. Let the army arrest the murderers and hand them over to the police.

Not bothered.

Buhari must personally inform Nigerians on what transpired

The captain don't have name ba... Poor journalism

Hotzone:
For me to believe this, each arrest should be widely televised

Lol

You know the Nigerian army has been severally discredited cos them too dey lie.

Sharp!

anyimontana:
Pics,or I don't believe poo

Till date,I never see pics of the 4 soldiers that stole

Lol

Soldiers don japa

Hmm.. Okay
Btw for those who post news here.. There is a news about tekno on vanguard... Go copy n paste it here..

Nigerian Youths should stop the folly/foolishness of TRIBALLY fighting each other online/offline and fight the real enemy: the corrupt public/political office holders turning them against each other and their evil ideologies!

They have been using the divide and rule strategy against us! Great Youths, Unite against those robbing you and your generation yet unborn of a Beautiful life & future!!

Kindly repost & share on every social media platform till every youth wakes up!!!

We can and should do this TOGETHER

They should get to the root of it all. This is a betrayal of security trust. It must not go unpunished.

The entire scenario surrounding this incident is fishy, a normal defence role is to arrest and hand over criminals to the appropriate authority.
Most worrisome was that the unfortunate policemen did not return fire and were surrendered before jungle justice was carried out on them.
This is fishy!!!
The army captain owes us an explanation.

C

ednut1:
Army should not even be on the roads. Na police work be thar

na work police dey work so? people wey dey fire innocent people wey them suppose protect. God forgive me, but i don't feel sorry for policemen whenever any fate befalls them.

So the police should not investigate on this shameful hiatus, but wait for a tea sipping presidential panel to do their job for them abi? This is not Transmission IGP ooo.

Good! Because I'm suspecting that those soldiers were paid to release that guy no matter what