Families Of Slain Policeman, Civilian Demand Justice

The families of Inspector Mark Ediale and Olajide Owolabi have demanded that justice must be served on the soldiers who shot and killed three policemen and a civilian in Taraba state. The civilian and policemen were allegedly killed by soldiers in Taraba state. The soldiers it was alleged freed a kidnapper in the custody of the policemen, one Alhaji Hamisu Wadume. Police spokesman, DCP Frank Mba gave the names of the slain policemen as Inspector Mark Ediale, from Edo State, Sergeant Usman Danzumi from Taraba State and Sergeant Dahiru Musa also from Taraba State. The elder brother of Mark Ediale, Andrew Ediale and the aunty of the killed civilian Olajide Owolabi, Mrs Joy Danlami at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, told journalists that justice must be served on the soldiers over the killings. Andrew Ediale said, “we vehemently speak against the perpetrators of this heinous act; we demand thorough investigation, not only by the Nigerian authorities but by an international and independent body as well.” He explained that, “So that justice should be done, we want justice. The same army that is charged with protecting the citizens of this country are the perpetrators of this barbaric act.” He said, “Our question is who are these soldiers working for? Whose side are they on?and whose payroll are these military personnel on? These are the many questions we demand answers for.” He said, “Why was the kidnapper released. The police have done their job, apprehended the kidnapper, on their way back to Abuja, army operatives unleashed fire, it was the hail of these gunshots that cut down all these gallant police officers.” “We demand to know why? And why the kidnapper was released, and the effort of the gallant police officers was not only compromised, their life was equally cut short, we demand justice,” he said. He added that “It does not only undermine the integrity of the law of the land, but has caused grief to the family members of the deceased officers.” The aunty of Olajide Owolabi, Mrs Joy Danjuma said, “The family is not happy, because the death was a gruesome one, the way they treated them and killed them, they were dragging them on the ground.” She added that “The death took us unaware, we want the government to do something, justice must prevail, and those people should be punished.”