SLAIN POLICEMEN: Reps caucus wants Nigerian govt to set up judicial commission

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives, on Friday, called on the Federal Government to set up a judicial commission o enquiry to investigate the killing of three policemen and a civilian by soldiers in Taraba State during a covert operation to arrest a notorious kidnapper in the state.

The Reps, who condemned the killing, also warned that the killing must not be swept under the carpet or treated with levity.

Describing the deceased police officers as heroes who died while securing their fatherland, the Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, in a statement on Friday, called on the Federal Government to compensate the families of the slain police.

“We call on the Federal Government to immediately constitute a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to look diligently into these deaths as well as the circumstances surrounding the supposed ‘escape’ of Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume , the suspected kidnap kingpin.

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“The investigation ordered by the National Security Council at the end of its Thursday meeting appears to us too banal and routine, given the gravity of this incident and the uninspiring handling of previous inquiries into related matters.

“Lastly, we warn that Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion and those entrusted with securing the lives and property of Nigerians must always be above suspicion of conspiracy and sabotage of crime-solving efforts”, the Caucus said.

The Reps also called for a joint manhunt by the security agencies for Wadume to ensure that he faced the wrath of the law.

“This incident further highlights the lack of synergy, unhealthy inter-agency rivalry and sabotage, which may have been part of the reasons Nigeria is far from winning the war against the escalating insecurity across the nation.

“Indeed a situation where policemen on lawful duty die so horribly in the hands of a sister security agency gives causes for grave concern and portrays the nation’s security apparatchiks to the entire world as working at cross-purposes and prone to fifth columnists”, the lawmakers said.

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