Assailants of slain police officer not yet known

The General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lagos, Maj.-Gen Kenneth Minimah, said on Friday that the killers of the Badagry Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Salihu Samuel, and two other senior police officers of the division were not yet known.


The GOC said this at a news conference with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Mr. Suleiman Fakai; Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali; Commander, 9 Brigade, Ikeja Army Cantonment, Brig.-Gen. A. Muazu and other senior army and police officers, after paying condolence visits to the families of the slain soldier and policemen.

Minimah said since the IG and the Chief of Army Staff had set up a panel of investigation into the murder of the officers, it would be proper to give the panel the latitude and chance to carry out its investigation.

He said, “The assailants of the DPO, DCO and DOO are not yet known. I think it is wise that the panel of investigation set up by the IG and the COAS should be allowed to do their work to ascertain who the killers are and their motives.”

Samuel and his DCO, Mr. Michael Okedusi and the Divisional Operations Officer, Taofeek Afolabi, were reportedly ambushed by soldiers from the 424 Army Barracks, Ibereko, Badagry, Lagos State as a revenge for killing a soldier by some policemen.

On the welfare of the deceased officers, he said that every service had its own process and procedure for its personnel, stressing that the army had the benevolent fund, burial expenses and death benefits for those who died in active service and scholarship scheme for the deceased’s children.

He, however, said that the benevolent fund and burial expenses were immediately disbursed, while the other benefits would come later.

He said that the truce between the army and the police was to prevent the misconception arising from the killings from getting out of hand as rumours making the rounds could create more tension.

But he said the three police officers arrested in connection with the killing of the soldier were still in military detention, adding that they would soon be handed over to the police authorities.

He said the delay in handing them over to the police was because of the subsequent murder of the senior police officers.

On the misunderstanding between the rank-and-file of the army and the police on many occasions, he said there had not been an interplay of training as there was among senior military and police officers.

Minimah hoped that soon, the authorities would evolve an interactive training between the rank-and-file of the two forces to reduce the misunderstanding between them.

Fakai, on his part, said he was deeply saddened by the murder of the army and police personnel.

He said in the police, they had procedures, as in other services, to compensate those who died in active service.

He said that the burial expenses and the immediate needs of the deceased families would be catered for, while others would be paid according to police procedures.

“We are deeply touched by the incident. It is a sad one. We do not abandon our men and officers who die in active service. The force normally prepares for such incidents because of the nature of our work,” Fakai stated.

On why policemen withdrew from the road shortly after the incident, he said the action was tactical, basically to prevent a backlash of tension, which had heightened as a result of situation. He assured Nigerians that the policemen would soon return to their duty posts.