•Allegedly charged for conniving with kidnap kingpin, Wadume
•As Panel sets to quiz police, military delegates today
A panel instituted by the Defence Headquarters will today in Taraba State interrogate not fewer than 25 military and police personnel who have been arrested in connection with the killing of three policemen in the IGP Intelligence Response Team, IRT, and a civilian by soldiers in Taraba State, following the apprehension of a kidnap lord, Hamisu Wadume, who was allegedly released by the soldiers.
The soldiers, were said to be in connivance with the kidnap lord in his kidnapping dealings, which had been raking in millions of naira for him.
The Defence Headquarters on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari has instituted a Joint Investigation Committee to investigate the clandestine massacre of officers, today in Taraba.
A source disclosed that Wadume is abetted by security operatives, including police and military personnel from across Taraba State which equipped him with intelligence and data or victims for kidnapping.
It was gathered that through tracking and interception facilities, investigators were able to discover conversations which gave out the roles of both the police and military personnel who had roles to play for the kingpin.
The source revealed that it was for these rationales that the kidnap master was able to scale through various several arrest attempts by the police authorities.
“I can tell you that over 20 military and police personnel have been arrested since this investigation started. They gave the kingpin contact all these years the police have been looking for him. This is the reason it has taken this long to get him,” said the source who craved anonymity.
It was also gathered that the investigating committee would meet in Taraba to question representatives of the military and police on the killing today.
Theinformant247 learned that police and military officers will take turn to defend their agencies left for Taraba last night.
They are scheduled to appear before the committee and give account of the unfortunate incident.
Admiral Olaiya heads JIP
Recall that the Joint Investigation Panel, headed by Rear Admiral IT Olaiya, a former Director of Naval Intelligence, also has as members a representative each from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Service, DSS, and the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA.
While unveiling the composition of the panel last week, the Defence Headquarters in a statement issued by Col Onyema Nwachukwu, Acting Director, Defence Information, had said:
“In compliance with the presidential directive issued by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, has constituted a 7-man Joint Investigation Panel to unravel the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident between the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police allegedly resulting in the killing of three personnel of the Nigeria Police and a civilian along Ibi-Wukari road in Taraba State.
“The Joint Investigation panel is headed by Rear Admiral IT Olaiya and has a representative each from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, the Nigeria Police, Department of State Service and the Defence Intelligence Agency.”