Soldiers flee after shooting 2 policemen to d*ath at Taraba checkpoint

Some yet-to-be-identified soldiers are currently on the run after they allegedly shot dead two policemen at a military checkpoint close to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Jalingo area of Taraba State.

Spokesperson of the Taraba State Police Command, Abdullahi Usman, who confirmed this incident via a statement, stated that aside from the deceased, two other policemen sustained various degrees of injuries.

While revealing that the military officers took to their heels immediately after the incident, Usman said the injured policemen were receiving treatment in a hospital they were rushed to, adding that an investigation would be launched to determine the cause of the incident.

“The state Commissioner of Police, Yusuf Suleiman, and the Commander 6 Brigade, Brig. Gen. Frank Etim, have met, discussed and agreed that a commission of enquiry is set up to look into the cause of this incident.

“The soldiers shot two police personnel and went away with their rifles. Some proceeded to the command headquarters with guns and shot sporadically in the air, and one police officer who was going off duty was shot and killed instantly.

“Another who was just reporting for duty and did not even know what was happening was also shot the moment they identified him as a policeman.

“As we speak, we have gotten reports that our men who are escorting election results or on various duties are being stopped at military checkpoints and harassed,” the statement read.

The police spokesperson also revealed that the fleeing soldiers fled with the rifles of the attacked policemen.