Fred Ezeh, Abuja
A civil right group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has rejected the investigative panel comprising personnel of the police and the army, which was set up to investigate what recently transpired in Taraba State, which led to the death of three police officers, suggesting that an independent body be assigned the responsibility instead.
The group said it has no confidence in both security agencies to do a thorough and impartial investigation that would serve justice.
It suggested that the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) be given the responsibility to investigate the incident, stressing that the Commission has constitutional mandate and manpower to carry out such thorough investigation.
RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, who spoke at a media roundtable on inter-agency rivalry and conflict agenda, in Abuja, yesterday, said the unending clashes between different security agencies in Nigeria have caused more harm than good.
He suggested that the Federal Government, which controls the security agencies, should strongly checkmate activities of security agencies, and regularly remind them of their different responsibilities.
Human right lawyer, Femi Falana, in his contributions, described the decision of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, as diversionary, illegal and abuse of the office of the Chief of Defence Staff.
He said that since the slain civilian and policemen were not subjected to service law, the military authorities lacks the vires to cause an investigation to be conducted into a murder case which is covered by section 4 of the Police Act.