The police in Kogi on Wednesday declared one late Muhammad Kassim and six other arrested suspects as cultists and arms runners in the state.
The command in a statement signed by its spokesman, Williams Ovye-Aya, in Lokoja, debunked insinuations that Mr Kassim was killed in cold blood.
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The Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi, Isaiah Ijele, had in a statement he signed, condemned the killing of Mr Kassim, whom he referred to as a “Regional Youths Leader.”
Mr Ijele had accused the police of killing him in a circumstance that suggests a politically motivated act, and demanded justice.
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“The SDP demands a thorough and transparent investigation into this heinous crime. We call for immediate justice for Kassim. We stand in solidarity with his family during this time of profound grief,” he asserted.
Mr Ovye-Aya denied Mr Ijele’s claims, saying the Nigeria Police Force, Kogi command, wishes to set the records straight on the unverified report being circulated on social media on the death of Kassim, aka Enemi of Idah, Kogi.
He said, “The suspect (Kassim), now deceased, allegedly belonged to and was a member of a syndicate that deals in arms and ammunitions running within and outside Kogi.
“Following a legal intercept from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in Abuja, which indicted one Mohammed Amedu as a member of a Syndicate that deals in arms and ammunitions running within and outside Kogi, and the eventual arrest of one of the principal suspects by the DSS Operatives on June 22.
“The case was later handed over to the Kogi police command on June 28 for further investigation.”
He said the suspect confessed to the alleged crime and mentioned the said Kassim and others as members of the arms running syndicate.
“Investigation revealed that the late suspect (Kassim) was alleged to have purchased 20 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition to test run an AK47 rifle in his possession from Amedu, now in custody.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of an additional five suspected members of the syndicate, while two locally made Beretta Pistols have been recovered.
“Consequently, on this indictment on the late suspect, operatives attached to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) were mobilised to Idah on July 7 to invite him to report and answer the criminal offences levelled against him by members of his syndicate.
“This was to enable the police investigation team carry out discreet and thorough investigation into the case, but Kassim jumped the fence of his house and escaped arrest, when he sighted the police team.
“Based on his refusal to honour police invitation and escape, the Operatives from Idah Police Division were mandated to lay surveillance and arrest him when seen,” he said.
The spokesman said that when Kassim was sighted in a particular location at Idah, the operatives immediately swung into action to arrest him, but he vigorously resisted arrest because he was in the midst of other young men suspected to be his gang members.
According to him, Kassim took to his heels and was given a hot chase.
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“To aid his escape, his gang members started attacking the police operatives with cutlasses, stones and other dangerous weapons which gave him the courage to stop and get hold of one of the police officers’ rifle and began to struggle with him, in an attempt to disarm him and snatch the rifle.
“In the process, the rifle they were dragging got fired and hit the suspect on his leg while his gang members immediately rescued him from the police and whisked him away with the bullet wound on his leg to an unknown location where he later died in their hands,” he stated.
Mr Ovye-Aya said that an investigation into the case is still in progress and all suspects arrested in connection with the alleged crime will be arraigned in a competent court of jurisdiction for prosecution on completion of the Investigation.
(NAN)
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