- Where is the report on Wadume’s escape?
It is unclear why the Presidency has not acted on the report of the panel set up to probe the killing of three police detectives and a civilian by soldiers of the 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Takum, Taraba State. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said the soldiers had opened fire on the officers, who were members of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, despite proof that they were on legitimate duty.
The report is expected to clarify what happened, given the claims and counter-claims that followed the gruesome incident. The exchange of accusations and blame showed the extent of the rivalry and lack of cooperation between the army and the police force. By extension, the incident raised questions about inter-agency cooperation in the country’s security sector.
The panel instituted by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin, submitted its report more than three weeks ago, after a one-week extension to allow it to do a thorough job. The CDS was expected to study the report and make recommendations to the President who would then give directives on implementation of the recommendations. Considering the public outrage at the news of the incident, and the intense public interest in developments related to the incident, this is no time for foot-dragging.
The police operatives had arrested a wanted suspected kidnapper, Hamisu Wadume , in Ibi, Taraba State, on August 6, and were taking him to Jalingo, the state capital, in a bus, when soldiers at a checkpoint killed them. The police had described the trio of Inspector Mark Ediale, Sergeant Usman Danzumi, and Sergeant Dahiru Musa, as one of the “best and most highly trained IRT teams” in the country.
In a defensive statement, army spokesperson, Sagir Musa, had described the police operatives as “suspected kidnappers who turned out to be an Intelligence Response Team…on a covert assignment from Abuja.” Musa added that the team refused to stop at military checkpoints. “It was in this process that the suspected kidnappers who were obviously armed opened fire on the troops sporadically thus prompting them to return fire,” he stated.
Curiously, Wadume escaped and went into hiding. When he was re-arrested in Kano State two weeks later, his account suggested that the killings needed to be investigated to get to the bottom of what went wrong. According to Wadume, “On our way out of Ibi, some soldiers opened fire on the vehicle I was being transported in and killed some police officers. The soldiers then took me to their headquarters and cut off the handcuffs from my hands and set me free. I have been hiding since then until now that the police arrested me again.”
In a shocking confession, Wadume revealed how he carried out his criminal activities in collaboration with soldiers and policemen, including an army captain who allegedly ordered the attack on the IRT operatives, which led to his escape. Wadume’s damning revelations about his collaborators in the army and the police force exposed the existence of a criminal network that ironically involves those expected to foil criminal activities. The disturbing picture shows how insecurity is fuelled by criminals as well as security personnel who can be bought.
President Muhammadu Buhari‘s intervention was reassuring. Based on Buhari’s order, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) set up a Joint Investigative Panel headed by Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya. The panel’s membership, which included high-ranking officers from the police, army, navy, air force, DSS and the Defence Intelligence Agency, reflected the importance of its task.
The delay in taking action on the panel’s report doesn’t help matters. Those found guilty of acts of commission, omission or collusion in the tragic Taraba incident should be severely punished without delay.
