Two policemen who allegedly colluded with kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, will soon be dismissed from the service following their indictment for colluding with the crime boss in Taraba State.
Top police sources told our correspondent on Monday that Ibi police division crime officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Aondonna Iorbee, and the station officer, Inspector Aliyu, who had been in custody for about two weeks, would be dismissed for allegedly “colluded with criminals.”
One of our correspondents had earlier reported how the two officers were found to have collaborated with Wadume in his criminal enterprise.
The crime officer was found to have made over 200 calls to Wadume while the station officer allegedly destroyed evidence showing that the Intelligence Response Team operatives documented the operation to arrest the kidnap kingpin at the station.
A source said, “The two officers are still in custody and investigation has shown that they were working hand in-glove with the kidnap kingpin, Wadume. It is unfortunate, but they would lose their entitlements and also end up in jail.”
Meanwhile, a member of the IRT team which came under attack from soldiers attached to 93 battalion, Takum, Taraba State, on August 6, 2019, said attackers stole their phones and other personal effects.
The officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, described his experience as terrifying, noting that he narrowly escaped being killed during the assault which claimed three policemen and two civilians.
He said, “I managed to crawl out of the overturned vehicle and hid in a bush nearby. After the incident, we found that the soldiers had taken away our phones and wallets containing money and other personal effects.”
Meanwhile, the Joint Investigative Panel set up by the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, to investigate the incident failed to submit its report to the office of the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin, on Monday.
Military sources claimed that the panel postponed the submission, in order to carry out last-minute reviews and prevent the preempting of its findings.
The joint panel, headed by Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya, was reported to have completed its sittings on Friday, after grilling soldiers, policemen, civilians and the suspected Taraba State kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Wadume, at the Defence Intelligence Agency, Abuja.
A top source said, “The panel has stopped inviting witnesses and it is reviewing all the material evidence before it. The panel sat today (Monday) but it was to finalise its report. The CDS may have granted them that extension.
“We need to allow the panel to do a thorough job, and the CDS may have graciously granted them an extension.”
PUNCH
