Some security experts have called for a thorough and unbiased investigation into the recent killing of three police officers in Taraba by men of the Nigerian Army.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that three detectives in the Inspector-General of Police Response Team and one civilian were killed on August 6 by army personnel in Ibi, Taraba, after they allegedly arrested one Alhaji Hamisu indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in the state.
The army said that the killing was in error, adding that its men mistook the detectives for kidnappers.
The police, however, claimed that army knew that the deceased were police detectives and shot them at close range.
During the killing of the officers and civilian, the suspected kidnapper allegedly escaped.
The Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police have consequently set up a Joint Investigation Panel headed by DIG Mike Ogbizi, in-charge of Criminal Investigation Department.
A retired Commissioner of Police, Mr Dan Okoro, described the killing as unfortunate, saying that the officers lost their lives to the nation’s insecurity quagmire.
“May their fighting spirit expose those behind their death.
“Investigators should do a forensic audit of consummated alleged symbiotic union, a recital of that wanted kidnapper and cohorts, and a forensic audit of alleged informant and authorised deployment of both services for that operation,” he said.
Th Coordinator of the Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria, Ikechukwu Nwanguma, told newsmen that the killing should be exhaustively investigated.
He expressed sadness at the death of the detectives, saying that a comprehensive and unbiased investigation would expose the killers.
“This incident needs to be properly and exhaustively investigated to find out what happened.
“Military authorities should investigate the activities of their personnel in the country.
“This is to ensure that they do not engage in criminal and illegal activities including extortion at checkpoints and brutality on civilians, Nwanguma said.
Another retired Commissioner of Police, Frank Odita, said he would expect the investigating team to unearth the truth and let the public know whether there was a conspiracy in the killing.
According to Odita, Nigerians would want to know if the attack was a deliberate act of murder or ignorantly carried out on the line of duty by the soldiers.
Crime, defence and security reporters, under the auspices of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, CRAN, is also worried at the killing.
In a statement signed by Frank Oshanugor, its Secretary on Ethics and Human Interest Committee, CRAN said the unfortunate incident ought to have been avoided.
CRAN called for a discreet investigation into the killing by the Joint Investigation Panel.
According him, the panel should be unbiased and must make its findings public within a short period.
“The panel should find out if it is professional and justifiable for security agencies to open fire on kidnappers with their victims as we were told that it is better for 100 criminals to escape than for an innocent person to be killed.
“If really the soldiers were responding to a distress call to rescue a kidnapped victims, should they have shot the presumed kidnappers along with their victim.
“As CRAN commiserates with the families of the deceased policemen, the association calls for collaboration between security agencies saddled with same responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizenry,” CRAN said.
Another security expert, Folorunsho Attah, said that infractions between the military and the police in Nigerians was age-long.
“The incident of Aug. 6 in Taraba, where three policemen and a civilian were slaughtered like rams left a sour taste in the mouths of Nigerians,” he said.
He also urged a thorough and unbiased investigation into the killing to uncover the truth.
NAN
