Soldiers’ Killing of Policemen: Police demands whereabouts of freed suspected kidnapper who was on handcuff?

The police has demanded explanation from the Army as to the whereabouts of the suspected kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume, who was rescued from the police after three policemen, one civilian were killed by soldiers in Taraba State, asking; “How could a kidnap suspect properly restrained with handcuffs by the Police escape from the hands of his military rescuers?”

The police said; “Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume is a millionaire kidnapper arrested by the Police but paradoxically treated as a ‘kidnap victim’ by the Soldiers and subsequently ‘rescued’ by them. Where is he? Where is the rescued kidnapper?”

In a statement on Wednesday, Frank Mba, police spokesman had accused soldiers of killing three policemen while freeing a kidnap suspect in Taraba state. He said the soldiers opened fire on the police officers along Ibi-Jalingo road in the state.

Frank Mba said the operatives were in Taraba to arrest one Hamisu, an alhaji “indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in the state.”

According to Mba, ”the soldiers thereafter released the handcuffed suspect, Alhaji Hamisu, who is now on the run.”

Reacting, the army said the incident which took place on August 6, happened when troops of 93 Battalion Nigerian Army Takum, while responding to a distress call, pursued and exchanged fire with some suspected kidnappers who turned out to be officers from the IGP Intelligence Response Team from the Police Force Headquarters Abuja on a covert assignment.

Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Saghir Musa, who made this known said the death of the operatives could have been avoided if there was proper coordination and liaison between the Nigeria Police Force and the various security agencies.

However, in its press statement on Thursday, signed by Frank Mba, the police described the Army’s defense as puerile and insensitive.

The Press Statement

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT – WHERE IS THE “RESCUED” NOTORIOUS KIDNAPPER, ALHAJI HAMISU BALA WADUME?

The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the Press Release by the Nigerian Army dated 07 August, 2019, seeking to justify the unprovoked and unwarranted murder of three (3) Police officers and one (1) Civilian, and serious injury to other operatives, who were on legitimate criminal investigation activities to Taraba State, to arrest one Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in the State.

In the best tradition of Esprit de Corps, Inter-Agency Harmony and National Interest, the Nigeria Police Force would naturally have kept quiet, but it has become imperative to set the record straight by addressing the obvious distortion of facts inherent in the Press Release by the Nigerian Army.

The most important question arising from the Nigerian Army Press Release is: Where is Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume?

Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume is a millionaire kidnapper arrested by the Police but paradoxically treated as a ‘‘kidnap victim’’ by the Soldiers and subsequently ‘rescued’ by them. Where is he? Where is the rescued kidnapper?

Secondly, the Press Release was silent on the source of the alleged distress report or identity of the complainant, on the strength of whose report, the Army claimed had informed their decision to engage in the purported chase and rescue operation. Needless to state that in the true spirit of transparency and accountability, the Nigerian Army ought to have arrested the purported distress caller – if any – for obviously and deliberately furnishing them with false and misleading information. Besides, such arrest should in fact be made public!

Thirdly, it is not true that the Policemen failed to identify themselves as alleged in the Press Release. The video on the incident, now viral, wherein the voice of one of the soldiers was heard loudly proclaiming that the Policemen were from the Force Headquarters, Abuja speaks volume. Besides, the presence of the IRT personnel was well known to the Taraba Police Command as the Operatives officially and properly documented not only at the State Command Headquarters but also at the Wukari Area Command and the Ibi Divisional Headquarters. As a matter of fact, some of the Detectives from the Taraba State Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were part of the operation.

The Force also considers it insensitive, disrespectful and unpatriotic for the Press Release by the Army to continue to describe Policemen on lawful National Assignment as ‘suspected kidnappers’ long after it had become crystal clear to the Army that these are Law Enforcement Officers who unfortunately were gruesomely murdered in the line of duty by Nigerian soldiers attached to 93 Battalion, Takum.

In the final analysis, we leave the Nigerian Army authorities to provide Nigerians with answers on the following questions emanating from their Press Release:
· Where is the notorious kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume ‘rescued’ by the soldiers?
· How and why was Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume released by the soldiers?
· How could a kidnap suspect properly restrained with handcuffs by the Police escape from the hands of his military rescuers?
· If Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume is a ‘‘victim of kidnap’’ as claimed, and properly rescued by soldiers, why was he not taken to the Army Base for documentation purposes and debriefing in line with the Standard Operating Procedure in the Nigerian Army?
· Why were the Police Operatives shot at close range even after they had identified themselves as Police Officers on legitimate duty as evident in the video now in circulation?

DCP FRANK MBA
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA