It was learnt on Sunday that the police
authorities did not believe the claim of the Department of State
Security that the suspects, who were killed by the SSS and Army
operatives in two uncompleted buildings in the Apo Legislative
Quarters, were members of the sect.
The SSS Deputy Director (Public
Relations), Marilyn Ogar, had claimed that the victims were gunmen who
engaged the SSS operatives in a gun battle in one of the uncompleted
buildings.
According to Ogar, the SSS operatives
were attacked by the suspects when they went to the building on Soji
Aderemi Close, off Bamanga Tukur Street, Apo Quarters, to exhume weapons
buried in it by people suspected to be Boko Haram members.
One of the 10 survivors, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed, had told Saturday PUNCH that the government should probe the incident and prosecute those behind it.
He had said, “We are not Boko Haram
members; that is a great blackmail; it is not true. How can over 200
people living in an uncompleted building be Boko Haram members? Among us
are Keke (tricycle) drivers and operators.”
The counter-terror operation, which commenced around 12.30am, rattled people living in the highbrow residential area.
The survivors are still receiving
treatment at the Asokoro District Hospital for gunshot wounds. Some of
them were shot in the leg and abdomen. A young boy, Murtala Abubakar,
was shot in the lower back.
Our correspondents gathered in Abuja on
Sunday that the SSS and the Army officers, who jointly carried out the
operation, had yet to tender the weapons that were purportedly buried in
one of the uncompleted buildings.
The SSS had claimed that its operatives
were digging for arms buried in the building when they came under fire
from the suspects.
But it was learnt that the police
authorities were not satisfied with the explanation of the SSS and had
therefore initiated a probe into the incident.
A top security source told one of our
correspondents that police detectives, who went to the scene, did not
see any sign of upturned earth or fresh soil authenticating the SSS
claim.
He said, “The SSS disappointed the
police by not informing us about such an operation in the FCT. But while
we wouldn’t want to antagonise our sister agency and the Army by
exposing the flaws in the operation, we will however carry out a
thorough investigation and submit our findings to the government to
avoid another fiasco in future.”
It was gathered that the incident
might strain the relationship between the SSS and the police which had
been improving in many aspects following the synergy being built by the
leadership of the two agencies.
The FCT Police Public Relations
Officer, Altienne Daniel, confirmed that the command had commenced an
independent investigation into the incident.
He added that police detectives would soon submit a preliminary report of their findings “which will be made public.”
The Director of Defence Information,
Brig.Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, said that the position of the Army was
contained in a press statement issued by the Department of State
Security on the operation.
Attahiru said, “There was a press release issued to that effect by the spokesperson of the SSS.
“Look, this was a joint operation
between the SSS and the Army. So there is no different position, the
position taken by the spokesperson of the SSS is the position of the
Army.
“Ogah issued a press release, you should get that release. The position of the Army and the SSS are the same.”
Meanwhile, the northern socio-political
organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and the Jama’atu Nasril
Islam led by the Sultan of Sokoto , Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad lll, have
flayed the killings.
In their separate reactions on Sunday, they argued that a thorough probe into the incident would unearth the truth.
The National Publicity Secretary of the
ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, in an interview with one of our correspondents
in Kaduna, said that an investigation was necessary to make Nigerians
have confidence in the country’s intelligence community.
The forum, Sani noted, was still
observing the happenings in Abuja with keen interest, especially the
conflicting reports as well as claims and counter-claims surrounding the
killings.
He said, “The ACF is observing the event
associated with the killings last Friday in Abuja of the suspected
members of the Boko Haram sect with keen interest, especially the
conflicting reports and claims and counter-claims of what actually
happened.
“It is against this backdrop that ACF
calls on the authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident for the
purpose of enabling Nigerians and the world to know the truth needed
for inspiring confidence in the nation’s intelligence community for
public good.”
The JNI, in a statement by its Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, described the Apo killings as unfortunate.
The group, which also expressed shock
over “other killings at Benisheikh, in Borno State, Wase, in Plateau
State, Kafanchan in Kaduna State and also various attacks in Nasarawa
and Taraba states, advised the Federal Government and the respective
state governments “to constitute a commission of inquiry over these
matters.”
It further urged the authorities to
caution the SSS’s spokesperson over the way and manner she handles
sensitive security matters .
The JNI statement reads, “A critical
overview of these repeated acts of absurdity clearly shows that the
manner in which the SSS spokesperson handles reportage of security
issues needs serious introspection, because the spokesperson concludes
matters before investigation. The case of the Nasarawa State man found
with dynamite in Radio House is still fresh in our memory.
“Therefore, the spokesperson should be
cautioned. It is most likely as reported by the media that the Apo
victims were not Boko Haram members as claimed by the spokesperson.
“It is quite unfortunate, regrettable
and condemnable that, after witnessing relative peace in some of these
states in recent times, these unfortunate recurring massacres are coming
up within 72 hours.”
The ACF and JNI said this as a legal practitioner, Mr. Sunusi Musa, also faulted the claim by the SSS.
He also hinted that his law firm would go to court and offer free legal services (pro bono) to the victims.
The Senate, on its part, said it would
welcome any action legitimately taken by the President Goodluck Jonathan
administration to end terrorism in the country.
The Senate Committee Chairman on
Information and Media, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, stated this in an
interview with one of our correspondents.
He said, “The Senate will continue to
support any legal and constitutional step taken by the President
Goodluck Jonathan administration and the security agencies to stop the
activities of the Boko Haram sect in this country.
“Nobody is happy with the senseless killings of innocent people by members of the sect and we should all condemn it.”
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