(By John Adams – MINNA)
There was a mild drama on Friday at the ongoing commission of inquiry set up by the Niger State government to look into the remote causes of the bloody clash between the military and some communities in Bosso local government area of the state, when the state police command openly faulted the reasons given by men of the Nigerian Army for the invasion of these communities.
During the invasion last month, no less than 24 people (11 of them soldiers) were killed, while several others were injured and property valued at millions of naira destroyed.
The Niger state government following the incident set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to look into the remote and immediate causes of the disturbance and make recommendations on how to forestall a repeat.
But testifying Friday before the Commission in Minna, the Commissioner of Police Alhaji Zubairu Muazu submitted that, contrary to the claims by the military authority, the villagers attacked had no prior record of criminality.
The army had blamed the “cordon and search” carried out on the communities on stockpiling of arms and ammunitions by the villagers.
   
“There has never been any report of gun running or armed banditry in the area before the military invasion”, said the police chief, adding that the police had an outpost about 500 meters from Kpaidna where the incident occurred and “there has never been any report from the station about such incidents.”
Alhaji Zubairu Muazu, who said that the crisis occurred only 9 days after he assumed duties as the state police commissioner, said he never received handover notes on the area being a dangerous spot .
The police also faulted the army for embarking on the “cordon and search operation” on their own, saying the army did not have constitutional powers to embark to take such an action without the presence of the police and other security agencies.
Muazu further submitted that “such cordon and search operation can only be done through joint operation with the police taking the lead while the army will provide cover,” pointing out that the operation must be carried out after a search warrant must have been obtained.
In addition he said that “cordon and search operation” could only be done between the hours of 6am and 7pm, not the early hours that the army carried out the operation, stressing that the area could be cordoned at any time but the actual search must be conducted after 6am by the police.
On how to forestall a future incident, Alhaji Muazu declared that “it is important and necessary that we all join hands together in situations like this so as to prevent future occurrence.”
Contrary to claims by the army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also said it was not aware of the plan to carry out the operation.
State Commander Mr Philip Ayuba, who also testified before the Commission on Friday, said it was the distress call of the villagers that attracted his command to the scene.
He also debunked the claim by the army that the issue was discussed at the state Security Council meeting, pointing out that “No issue of gun running or arms stockpiling by these communities was discussed at any security meeting that I attended.”
The Commission will resume its sitting on Monday.