The Nigeria Police has paid tribute to three of its personnel killed by soldiers along Ibi-Jalingo Road in Taraba State.

It also released the identities and photographs of the affected officers, a day after the Force announced their death as a result of the unfortunate incident.

The slain officers were listed as Sergeant Usman Danzumi, Sergeant Dahiru Musa and Inspector Mark Ediale.

The Force Public Relations Department paid respect to the late officers in a tweet on Thursday entitled “Will Be Forever Remembered”.

According to the police, the slain officers contributed greatly to the progress made in fighting crime in the country.

They were said to be part of the teams that rescued the Magajin Garin, the District Head of Daura, as well as those who arrested 22 members of the Boko Haram sect who abducted the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State in 2014.

The slain policemen also helped in the arrest of suspected kidnap kingpin, Evans, as well as the arrest of Umar Abudulmalik, the “overall commander” of Boko Haram in the North-Central and several insurgents, among other operations.

In a statement earlier, the Force spokesman, Mr Frank Mba, said the officers were in Taraba to arrest a suspect identified as Alhaji Hamisu Wadume, who was before the incident indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in the state.

He also alleged that the soldiers set the suspect free after attacking the policemen.

Reacting to the incident, the Nigerian Army authorities, however, said the soldiers felt the policemen were kidnappers.

In their recent tweet, the police released the identities of the men who died in the line of duty, with the message: “Where Is Espirt De Corps” translated to mean a feeling of mutual loyalty and inter-agency harmony shared among security operatives.

See the tweet below:

#WhereIsEspiritDCorp pic.twitter.com/f534kGyF9x

— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) August 8, 2019

The police also issued a statement:

TRIBUTE TO THE POLICE OFFICERS KILLED BY SOLDIERS IN TARABA STATE ON 6TH AUGUST, 2019.

Insp. Mark Edaile, from Edo State
Sgt. Usman Danzumi, from Taraba State
Sgt. Dahiru Musa, from Taraba State.

The gallant, outstanding IRT team attacked by Soldiers in Taraba State consists of some of the most disciplined, proficient and hardworking Police investigators in the service of the Nation.

Until their untimely death in the hands of soldiers of 93 Battalion Takum, Taraba State, these officers have participated in several high-profile and high-risk arrests, rescue missions and investigative operations. Some of these operations include:

The arrest of Nigeria’s most notorious kidnap kingpin, Evans.
The arrest of twenty (22) Boko Haram Terrorists responsible for the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok School Girls in Borno State.
The arrest of UMAR Abdulmalik, the overall Boko Haram Commander of North Central Nigeria and several of his group members.
The arrest of the kidnappers of two American and two Canadian citizens in Kaduna State.
And most recently, the rescue of Magajin Garin Daura in Kano State and arrest of the thirteen (13) terrorists responsible for the kidnapping of the Magajin Garin Daura in his home town Daura, Katsina State on 1st May 2019, among many other outstanding feats.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A. Adamu, NPM, mni commiserates with the families, friends and professional colleagues of the fallen heroes, reassuring them that their death will not be in vain.

The IGP equally calls for calm among Nigerians as efforts are in top gear to unravel the mystery surrounding this bizarre crime.

May their souls rest in peace!

DCP FRANK MBA

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS

ABUJA