SAN FRANCISCO, September 16, (THEWILL) – The Borno State Police Command said on Monday that it has commenced investigation into the killing of a member of the Civilian JTF by a policeman at a checking point last Saturday.
The state Police Commissioner, Lawal Tanko, who disclosed this at a media briefing,said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the State Police Command had been instructed to investigate the killing with the aim of prosecuting the police officer who was alleged to have shot the Civilian JTF member if he was found culpable.
Tanko said the CID was waiting on the accused police officer to recuperate before being made to face the probe panel.
The Police Commissioner said the police officer “is critical injured and receiving treatment and the need to want on him to make a statement.” Tanko stated further: “We pray for him to survive so that we can take proper action and avoid any future occurrence.
“We have been talking to our officers to strictly adhere to the rule on when fire arms are allowed to be used.”
Tanko also said the work of the youth vigilante group needs to be supported by all and that the police command was ready to cooperate with them.
He nonetheless advised that they should register in their areas of operation to the District Police Officer in order to be assisted with logistic support.
“We are happy that they have realised their civic duty and we can legitimise their activities if they come to us. It is not too good to go against someone with sophisticated weapons with sticks, we can always shield them with our arms and ammunitions.
“We can also recommend them to those in government for assistance so that they can get something for their voluntary task,” he said.
Tanko disclosed that if the officer who allegedly killed the youth is found guilty, he will be dismissed from the Police and equally made to face criminal prosecution.
The police commissioner said in order to reduce the incidence of robbery in the state, the command has started market patrol during market days in towns and villages across the state.
“Market days are the days that some of these hoodlums perpetuate their dastardly act of robbing traders and for the need to curb them we have begin to patrol markets and highways,” he said.
The Civilian JTF member, Usman Ibrahim Jatto, was allegedly killed by a policeman on Saturday at a police checking point.
Thousands of youths in Maiduguri, chanting, “police is Boko Haram”, had taken to the streets to protest Jato’s killing along the popular Kano road.
The protest caused traffic gridlock along the major roads for some hours as the Civilian JTF supported by other youths in the town barricaded the road, burning used tyres and wielding dangerous weapons to scare off motorists.
The youths also attempted to burn down the state police headquarters but were repelled by soldiers who assisted the policemen on duty.
A witness said many policemen were beaten up by the youths who descended on any person dressed in police uniform.
The riot was said to have been triggered when the youths who were said to be returning from where they went to arrest some suspected Boko Haram members and were about to hand them over to a military post opposite the Borno Express Transport Company were confronted by two policemen who accused them of violating the traffic law by driving against the traffic.
In the ensuing argument, one of the policemen was said to have threatened to shoot one of the Civilian JTF members and the youth dare him to shoot him, then the policeman pulled the trigger immediately.
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Sunday made good his promise as he attended the funeral of the slain Civilian JTF member. Shettima, who led a team of the state executive council to the family house of the slain youth vigilante group member, gave a cash compensation of N3.5 million and a gift of three-bedroom flat at the 1,000 housing estate along the Maiduguri/Kano road to the family of the deceased. The caretaker chairman of Maiduguri Metropolis Council (MMC), Alhaji Abdulkadir Rahis, also gave a N500,000 cash gift to the family of the deceased.
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