Bodies of slain policemen killed in Taraba arrive Abuja

Frank Mba

The corpses of three policemen who were killed in a shootout with soldiers have arrived at the morgue of Garki General Hospital in Abuja.

The corpses arrived Abuja early Sunday from Jalingo, Taraba State capital.

The police have not announced a burial date for the slain officers – Mark Edaile, Usman Danzumi, and Dahiru Musa.

Force spokesman, Frank Mba, had said on Wednesday that the officers from the Intelligence Response Team who were taking a kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu Wadume, to the command headquarters in Jalingo were attacked by soldiers.

Mr Mba said the police officers were shot dead while the suspect was set free, but the army countered the claim, saying the policemen were mistaken for kidnappers.

Mba said the slain officers facilitated the arrest of kidnap kingpin, Evans, the arrest of 20 Boko Haram insurgents responsible for the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok School Girls in Borno State; and the arrest of the overall Boko Haram Commander of North Central Nigeria, Umar Abdulmalik.

“And most recently, the rescue of Magajin Garin Daura in Kano State and arrest of the thirteen terrorists responsible for the kidnapping of the Magajin Garin Daura in his home town Daura, Katsina State on 1 May 2019, among many other outstanding feats,” Mba said.

The police on Thursday launched a hashtag campaign against the army over the killing.