Police chiefs charged with extrajudicial killing of Boko Haram leaders

Two assistant police commissioners and a number of other policemen are standing trial in Abuja over the extrajudicial killing of Boko Haram leaders during the Maiduguri crisis in July 2009, sources at the Force Headquarters told Daily Trust.

Assistant commissioners Mr. David Abang and Mr. Akira were charged with illegal killing of sect leader Mohammed Yusuf, his father-in-law Baa Fugu Mohammed and alleged financier Buji Foi, who were killed by policemen after being captured alive in the wake of the crisis nearly two years ago.

Police authorities initially claimed that they were either killed in combat or as they attempted to escape, but video clips later emerged showing that the men were executed after capture. This forced authorities to arrest 17 policemen, but no official information has been released since then on what happened to them.

A senior police officer told Daily Trust on Monday that a number of those arrested, including the two assistant police commissioners, have been charged to court and are now in detention while the trial continues.

The 17 arrested policemen were among those clearly identified in the video clips, aired by Qatar-based television station Al Jazeera.

Last Friday, Rivers State police commissioner Suleiman Abba said on a BBC Hausa programme that the police were prosecuting officers and men accused of extrajudicial killing of suspected Boko Haram leaders. He said he actually received a signal ordering for the arrest of one of the suspects who was then at his (Abba’s) command.

Inquiries by Daily Trust at the Force Headquarters confirmed Abba’s claims. A police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said those brought to the Force Headquarters in February 2010 were investigated and many were found to have played certain roles in the killings.

“Those who were indicted are facing trial over murder at a Federal High Court including two assistant commissioners, David Abang and Akira. They were in prison custody in Kuje when the case was heard by the court,” he said.

But the official did not say specifically which Federal High Court is trying the suspects and when was the case taken to the court. Inquiries by a Daily Trust reporter at the Federal High Court is yet confirm the identity of the judge handling the case.

The police source said investigations cleared a number of the arrested policemen and they were therefore released and asked to resume work but those indicted were suspended from the force.

Over the past two years since the killing of Yusuf and the other leaders, the Boko Haram sect seemed to have regrouped and launched increasingly audacious attacks, killing dozens of policemen and other people in various places.

The latest attack was last Thursday’s suspected suicide bombing at the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, where at least eight people were reported killed.

Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim, who appeared to be the target of last week’s bombing, is expected to release results of investigations into the incident today after a meeting with top police chiefs.

The meeting started yesterday and broke off to continue today.