The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Wednesday said foreign forensic experts would join local police detectives to probe the killings of DSP Mohammed Alkali, Sergeant Peter Uchi and several others who lost their lives during the recent Rivers State re-run election.
Speaking when he received the chairman of INEC, Mahmud Yakubu, in his office, the police boss said the experts would conduct forensic analysis on the leaked voice, audios and recorded tapes purported to be the voice of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
He said to avoid compromising the outcome of the probe panel, which according to him, would be inaugurated today (Wednesday), the 14-member panel would be made up of ICT specialists, crime detectives, foreign forensic and voice experts.
“Already, we are getting support from CSOs, experts from outside the country who feel committed that Nigeria should have peaceful elections.
“They are offering support in audio analysis of some these audios that have become viral on on Facebook and very soon they will be in the country to assist us on some of these audio recordings,” he said.
“This will ensure that we get to the bottom of this election violence and by the grace of God, Rivers election will be the last state that we are going to have this kind of experience.
“And it will never happen again as I have constituted a 14 man panel to investigate and these are officers with different skills to look into all these allegation and at the end we shall have a detailed outcome of the investigation which we shall share with Nigerians.
“If the people in charge of governance, political parties and citizens are not ready to cooperate, we as law enforcers have a responsibility to ensure that election where ever it is held in this country must be peaceful, fair and free,” the police boss said.
He vowed that the police would unravel the murder of the two police officers and others.
“The vehicle in which they used in the kidnap had been recovered, the bodies of the DSP and his driver had been recovered, unfortunately from the information that we get from the suspects, their heads were dropped inside the water.”
Responding, Mr. Yakubu, who was on a condolence visit, expressed regret on the deaths of the police officers in the course of election duty.
“I would like to, on behalf of the commission, condole with the NPF on this sad loss and
as we speak a national commissioner from the headquarters joined our resident commissioner in Minna and his adhoc staff to condole the families of the DSP and his driver.
“I will to assure you that in the case of the others who lost their lives soon we shall participate fully in their burial ceremonies,” he said.
