The family of Insp. Mark Ediale, one of the three Police operatives allegedly killed in Taraba State by soldiers, has called for an independent probe into the incident to ensure justice.

The deceased’s elder brother, Andrew Ediale, made the call at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that the operatives were at Ibi to arrest Alhaji Hamisu Wadume, a suspected kidnapper, said to have been indicted in series of high-profile kidnap incidents in Taraba, when they were shot and killed.

The Nigeria Police Force had said the deceased and others, all operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), were on their way to the state’s Police Command Heaquarters in Jalingo with the suspect, when they were shot and killed allegedly by troops of the Nigerian Army, along Ibi-Jalingo road.

Mark, two other IRT operatives, and one civilian, later died of gunshot wounds, while others in the team sustained gunshot wounds and were hospitalised.

The soldiers were alleged to have, thereafter, released the handcuffed suspect, Hamisu, who is now on the run.

Already, the Nigeria Army has set up a high-powered team to investigate the circumstances sorrounding the incident.

But Ediale, at the news conference, demanded that the investigation be carried out by an independent body so as to ensure a thorough job.

While expressing displeasure over the murder of his brother who was on official duty, he called for “a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing, not only by the Nigerian community, but also the international and independent bodies to ensure justice”.

He regretted the alleged involvement of the army in the incident, saying that mark’s family wanted the culprits brought to book.

“We want stakeholders to ensure that nothing is swept under the carpet. The law must not fail to do the needful,” he said.

 

NAN