CRAN Condemns Killing Of 3 Policemen, Civilian By Soldiers

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, (CRAN), has condemned in strong terms the killing of three operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), and a civilian, by troops of 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Takum, Taraba State, on August 6, 2019.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the association also demanded for probe into the circumstances that led to the killing which had thrown the Police into mourning while adding that the unfortunate incident would have been avoided if there was synergy between the two security agencies which they also carpeted for lack of professionalism.
Information at our disposal revealed that the operatives were on their way to Jalingo, with a suspected notorious kidnap kingpin, who had been on the Police wanted list, when the troops opened fire on the operatives.
However, the Nigerian Army had issued a statement indicating that the policemen were erroneously killed by its soldiers following a distress call that they were kidnappers.
CRAN, as a matter of urgency, demands that discreet investigation  should be carried out into the killing by the Joint Investigation Panel constituted by the Army headquarters and the Nigeria Police Force, headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of Criminal Investigation Department, DIG Mike Ogbizi,  to ascertain  the actual  circumstances surrounding the gun attack.

“The panel should be unbiased and must make its findings public within a short period of time.”
The investigation should include:
1. Whether the operatives refused to stop at the Military checkpoints as claimed by the Army.
2. Whether there was any distress call on the abduction of anyone: who and when the distress call was made as claimed by the Army.
3. Who released the handcuffed suspect that was being taken to Jalingo by the operatives?
4. The whereabouts of the suspect.
5.  Who gave the command to the troop to fire at the operatives’ vehicle?
6.  Whether the operatives’ mission in Tabara was legal.
7. Whether the suspect was being shielded by the troop.
8. Whether it was 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 are claiming that they were responding to a distress call to rescue kidnapped victims, would they have shot the presumed kidnappers and the victims?” CRAN posited.

As CRAN commiserates with families of the deceased policemen, at the same time the association calls for collaboration between security agencies that are saddled with same responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizenry.

“We pray that God will grant the families of the victims and the Nigeria Police, especially IRT, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss” CRAN concluded.