Justice for Kebbi DPO Killed by Soldiers

Wale Igbintade argues that the absence of serious disciplinary actions against military personnel involved in the earlier killings of policemen can demoralise law enforcement personnel, hinder police effectiveness, and undermine public trust in security agencies as seen in the recent killing of a Divisional Police Officer in Zamfara 

The recent killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Haliru Liman, by soldiers attached to Operation Dadari Daji, tasked with the job of combating banditry in Zamfara State, has added to the previous deaths of police officers in the hands of Nigerian soldiers who were never brought to justice.

The police officer was travelling to Kebbi State from Zamfara State when the incident happened around the Zugu town in the Bukuyum axis. Residents and commuters who witnessed the attack said the soldiers rode on three motorcycles to intercept Halilu who was travelling alongside his family.

In their usual act of impunity and lack of regard for the lives of innocent civilians and police officers, who are always being wasted by soldiers, the military authorities have not commented on this heinous crime by soldiers.

But according to the account of the incident provided by military sources, on August 28, 2024, at approximately 10:15a.m., troops from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Dan Marke, while on checkpoint duty, intercepted a vehicle suspected of being involved in terrorist logistics, travelling from the Sokoto axis.

Despite being signalled to stop, the driver allegedly resisted and bypassed the checkpoint, prompting the troops to pursue the vehicle.

The troops were said to have alerted the community of Zugu to block the vehicle’s path.

 Upon the troops’ arrival at Zugu, the driver allegedly attempted to escape on foot but in the process of immobilising the vehicle, the driver was shot.

According to the sources, the deceased driver was identified as police personnel.

The sources added that investigation by Team 12 Command revealed that the deceased driver was SP Liman Haliru, the DPO of Danko-Wasagu.

A thorough search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two AK-47 rifles, which were expertly wrapped and concealed.

Other items found in the vehicle included the driver’s personal identification card, ATM cards, a personal phone, and a sum of N13,300. These items are now in the possession of the unit.

The sources also alleged that the deceased was transporting six passengers in the vehicle, comprising three males and three females, who were subsequently moved to Team 12 Headquarters for further investigation.

The body of Liman was evacuated and deposited at the morgue of Gummi General Hospital and later released to ASP Musa Michael, Officer in Charge of Surveillance in Gummi, representing the Commissioner of Police for Zamfara State.

The military sources further claimed that the body was then handed over to the deceased’s younger brother, Barrister Hamza Liman, Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission in Sokoto, for onward transportation to Sokoto for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

According to the sources, the passengers who were in the vehicle were vetted, and their phone call histories were reviewed before they were released to Alhaji Saleh S Pawa, the PDP Chairman of Gummi, who was said to have promised the military authorities that the passengers would be made available for further investigation if required.

In its official reaction, Zamfara State Police Command, in a statement by the command’s public relations officer Assistant Superintendent of Police, Yazid Abubakar, said the brutal murder of the DPO by one Hassan, a personnel of the Nigerian Army was uncalled for.

“The circumstances surrounding this heinous crime are alarming and unacceptable. SP Liman, who was on his way to attend a monthly conference in Birnin Kebbi, was stopped by military personnel despite identifying himself as a police officer. In a shocking display of aggression, Hassan pointed his gun at SP Liman and shot him in the head, resulting in his instant death.

“We condemn this unprovoked attack in the strongest possible terms and demand a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident. The military’s actions are a clear violation of the rules of engagement and the principles of inter-agency cooperation.

“We urge the relevant authorities to take immediate action to address this egregious incident and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. The police and military must work together to maintain peace and security, not engage in violent confrontations that undermine public trust,” the statement added.

The Zamfara State Police Command was later said to have claimed that the late police officer was on an official assignment to transfer the two AK-47 rifles from Zamfara to Kebbi State.

Though concerns have been raised regarding the procedure followed for such an arms transfer as the officer’s actions of evading a military checkpoint allegedly violated the standard protocol for the transfer of arms, analysts are of the view that this is one killing too many, in view of the military’s notorious record of killing policemen and unarmed civilians.

It is well-known that in many previous cases, nothing further was heard after military authorities claimed to have launched investigations to bring the culprits to justice.

This tacit support for acts of impunity by the military authorities has emboldened some soldiers to go rogue on highways, in markets, communities, streets, and major cities, where they assault and even kill civilians over minor disputes.

Even in cases where videos and reports went viral, military authorities still shielded their officers and men from criminal prosecution by claiming that they were probing the incident.

The latest killing comes four years after soldiers killed three police officers at a checkpoint in Taraba State and freed a suspected kidnapper, Hamisu Bala, a.k.a Wadume.

Wadume, whose operational base was Taraba, was first arrested in Ibbi on August 6, 2019, by a team of police officers from the office of the Inspector General of Police (IG). He was being taken to Jalingo, the state capital, on its way back to Abuja when soldiers attached to Battalion 93 of the Nigerian Army and led by Captain Tijjani Balarabe at a checkpoint on the Ibbi-Takum road killed some of the police officers and freed Wadume.

Three police officers and two civilians were killed during the incident, while five other police officers were injured.

Curiously, the soldiers that perpetrated the killing were never brought to justice.

Two years ago, soldiers at the Ojo Military Cantonment in Lagos, tortured and killed an Inspector serving with the Lagos State Police Command, Monday Orukpe.

The soldiers were said to be on their way to Ojo Military Cantonment when the Army bus conveying them encountered traffic around the Trade Fair area of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. There was an argument between the soldiers and the policemen. The soldiers beat the police officers to a pulp, abducted them and drove them to the nearby Ojo Cantonment, where they were further tortured. While Orukpe died, another police Inspector, Igbafe Ojo, who was equally abducted, suffered life-threatening injuries.

This is why Amnesty International has consistently accused the Nigerian Army of torture, extra-judicial killings and other human rights abuses but military authorities continued to deny these allegations. The actions of military authorities have demonstrated that they tacitly condone these murderous acts of their officers and men.

These persistent killings show lack of discipline, human rights abuses and absence of respect for constituted authorities by Nigerian soldiers.

They also show the absence of disciplinary actions against military personnel involved in the past killings which emboldened other soldiers to foster a culture of impunity, and lack of respect for the Nigeria Constitution as evidenced by the latest murder of Liman.

The military appears to lack respect for civil authorities as its personnel feel empowered to kill civilians and police officers without any consequences.

Reacting to the killing of Liman, the Rule of Law, Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), a civil society organisation, warned that soldiers may normalise the habit of shooting and killing police officers if nothing is done to serve as a deterrent.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC warned against the dangers of allowing the killing of police officers to go unpunished. It called for urgent investigation and accountability, adding that it is essential to uphold justice, maintain public confidence, and ensure the integrity of the security apparatus.  

“This recent tragic incident brings back sad memories of similar unresolved cases in the past of the killing of police officers by military personnel. This recurrent incident highlights serious issues within Nigeria’s security forces, including inter-agency friction, accountability issues, civil-military relations, impact on law enforcement and the urgency of reform,” it noted.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration should end the senseless killing of Nigerians by soldiers.