Two policemen killed, two injured
Commercial activities in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State were yesterday grounded, following sporadic shooting between soldiers and suspected hoodlums allegedly brought into the state by politicians.
The Guardian learnt that suspected miscreants took advantage of misunderstanding between policemen and soldiers to fire bullets in the area.
The gunshots which started from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office, spilled over to some major areas in Jalingo metropolis.
Some journalists were trapped in the Jalingo shopping complex, which is located a few metres from the INEC offices.
The Guardian learnt the suspected hoodlums planned is to attack the INEC office, so as to disrupt the ongoing coalition exercise.
MEANWHILE, the State Police Command has confirmed the death of two of its men in the shootout.
Apart from the killings, two other policemen were also confirmed to have sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at the police clinic in Jalingo and at the state specialist hospital.
Confirming the development, the Command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Usman, who narrowly escaped lynching by angry soldiers, said: “A very ugly and unfortunate incident took place between the soldiers and police this morning.”
The shooting, which began at about 8:45a.m., he said lasted for over an hour, expressing sadness at the way and manner the Command headquarters in Jalingo was invaded by the soldiers.
He said: “When I was on my way to the office, I came across a little scuffle between the military officers that mounted checkpoints on the entrance at the INEC office as it used to be when election results were collated.”
According to the spokesperson, a female police officer, who was reporting for duty at INEC headquarters in Jalingo, was stopped by a military man at the checkpoint and asked for her proper identification.
“While we were trying to settle things and I was personally talking to one of the senior soldiers there, the soldiers suddenly started shooting. We were caught in the crossfire and had to run for dear lives. The soldiers proceeded to the Command headquarters here and shot two police officers and went away with their rifles.
“One police officer who was going off duty was shot and killed instantly while another who was just reporting for duty and did not even know what was happening was also shot the moment they identified him as a policeman.
“As we speak, we have reports that our men who are escorting election results in various duties have been stopped at military checkpoints and harassed.
“They stripped them naked and harassed them even though they knew nothing about what happened.
“For now, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Yusuf Suleiman and the Commander of 6 Brigade, Jalingo, have met and discussed and agreed that a commission of enquiry will be set up to look into the real cause of this incident,” he said.
