Soldiers who opened fire on three
policemen in Taraba state were ordered by a captain, New Telegraph quoted
sources as saying.
The officer is believed to be
part of those benefiting from the largesse of Hamisu Wadume, the suspected
kidnap kingpin whom the police officers had gone to arrest.
A source was quoted as saying the
wanted kidnap suspect, who has been generous to soldiers in Ibi, paid a ransom
of N1.5 million when one of the soldiers was kidnapped few months ago.
While the police had accused the
army of killing their men and freeing Wadume, the army said soldiers mistook
the policemen, who were on a covert operation, for kidnappers.
Since the incident happened, the
police and army have had exchanges, with police asking the army for the
whereabouts of the kingpin who had already been arrested before the soldiers
struck.
According to the army, the
officers, who were members of the police’s intelligence response team (IRT),
were shot over refusal to stop at checkpoints mounted by the soldiers.
But the newspaper quoted sources
as saying the policemen had earlier encountered the soldiers at the three
checkpoints, and they had introduced themselves, stating what they came for.
“They even chatted, joked and
exchanged pleasantries,” one of the sources reportedly said.
“The arrest was made within 20
minutes and while they were returning, soldiers at the first and second
checkpoints asked them if they were already through. The soldiers and
operatives know one another, but the phone call from a top military personnel
changed everything.”
The policemen, the newspaper
said, were taken unawares, and they lost control of their vehicle which
somersaulted under the torrents of gunshots.
The source said: “When the
operatives got to Ibi town, they booked their arrival at the police station and
proceeded with assistance from a policeman attached to them in the state
headquarters, Jalingo, to trace and arrest Alhaji Hamisu Wadume, who is wanted
because he is linked to several kidnappings in Taraba State, including a recent
kidnapping in which N100 million was collected as ransom.
“After arresting Wadume, the
operatives were heading to police headquarters at Jalingo, when gang members of
Wadume, who are close to an army captain serving in Ibi town, called the army
and told him that his friend had been kidnapped. Without any verification or
inquiries, the army captain ordered his men along the highway to ambush the
policemen.”
Sagir Musa, army spokesman, did
not immediately respond to a message seeking his reaction over these
allegations.
Following President’s Muhammadu
Buhari’s directive, the defence headquarters has constituted a seven-man panel
to probe the killings.
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