The investigative panel set up by the Nigeria Police Force to unravel the rationale behind the killing of three of its officers in Taraba on Saturday met with the state governor, Mr Darius Ishaku.
The meeting which held behind closed-door is not unconnected to the findings of the committee sequel to their resumed investigation on Friday at the scene of the incident.
Members of the panel, however, declined to make any comment to journalists on the purpose of their meeting with the governor in Jalingo, the state capital.
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Governor Ishaku received the committee led by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Mr Mike Ogbizi, two days after members arrived in the state capital.
The panel was set up by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, to investigate the killing of three police personnel and a civilian by soldiers in Ibi Local Government Area of the state.
On arrival, the team had declined to make any comment to journalists, stressing that they needed to appraise the situation first.
According to a statement from the Force Headquarters, the slain officers were on a mission to arrest one Alhaji Hamisu indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in Taraba.
The operatives were said to be taking the arrested suspect to the Police Command Headquarters in Jalingo when they were “shot at severally” by the soldiers.
“Three Policemen (comprising one Inspector and two Sergeants) and one civilian died as a result of gunshot injuries sustained in the attack while others sustained serious gunshot wounds. The soldiers thereafter released the handcuffed suspect, Alhaji Hamisu, who is now on the run,” police spokesman, Mr Frank Mba, had said in the statement.
The IGP had also ordered the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Medicals to proceed to Jalingo to ensure concerted efforts in the treatment of the injured officers.
Two days after the incident which occurred on Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari met with the Service Chiefs and ordered that the incident be investigated.
In line with the President’s directive, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, constituted a seven-man Joint Investigation Panel.
A statement by the Acting Director of Information Defence Headquarters, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, said the committee had already commenced work.
The panel is headed by Rear Admiral I.T. Olaiya, and has a representative each from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Defence Intelligence Agency.
