Posted by From George Oji in Abuja on
Principal suspect in the murder of the six Abuja traders, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Danjuma, has challenged the criminal trial instituted against him and five other suspects at the Abuja High Court, by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero.
Principal suspect in the murder of the six Abuja traders, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Danjuma, has challenged the criminal trial instituted against him and five other suspects at the Abuja High Court, by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero.
In a motion on notice filed before the Court yesterday, Danjuma urged the Court to strike out the case on the grounds that Ehindero, as Inspector General of Police does not have the constitutional powers to institute any criminal charge before any court of law in Nigeria.
Danjuma also raised the issue of bias against the police, noting that the proof of evidence by the major witness, one Inspector Suleiman Audu, attached to the criminal charge, contains inconsistent evidence on oath and prejudicial.
"It is obvious from the various testimonies of the said Suleiman Audu that inconsistent evidence on oath is been presented to the prejudice of the applicant," Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Attah, elder brother of Danjuma deposed in an accompanying affidavit.
Meanwhile, four police witnesses testified before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the killing yesterday.
Testifying under oath, Police Constable Yakubu Philibus, said he was on duty at the pin down, stop and search point at Gimbiya Street, Area 11, on the day of the shooting with Inspector Suleiman Audu and two other constables. While at the point, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Danjuma met them and while there, a Peugeot 406 approached their duty point at full speed and refused to stop until Danjuma blocked it with his BMW car and ordered Audu to fire the men, but that he (Audu) refused, then Danjuma took the riffle from Audu and fired into the Peugeot 406.
' Thereafter, Danjuma directed the patrol team to convey the shot people to the station. Philibus said he did not see any locally made pistol or cartridge in the Peugeot 404.
In his testimony, Inspector Ishaya Nyaiwak, who is the armourer at the Garki police station stated that on June 8, 2005,at about 3 a.m., he was invited by the DPO in his office and asked if he had any locally made pistol in the armoury. When he replied in theaffirmative, the DPO directed him to bring same.
Hestated that the locally made pistols were earlier recovered from Ritalori Hotel, Gariki, Abuja, about a week before the incident and that the weapons were not registered but given to keep in the armoury.
Nyaiwak said he saw six dead bodies at the station and he was told that they were armed robbers, and that Danjuma was at the station when he gave the two pistols and two life cartridges to the DPO.
He said he was shocked when the pistols and cartridges including two expended cartridges, which he did not know there whereabout were presented as the weapons used by the robbers.
Testifying, Police Constable Haruna Sale said on the day of the killing, at about 5.50 a.m. when he reported for duty at the station, he saw five corpses comprising four males and one female at the gate of the Garki station.
He said the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), one Dennis Asawa, asked him to assist him to ensure that photographs of the corpses were taken, and that the armourer gave him two live cartridges and two locally made pistols, while the DPO gave him two knives and one cutlass, which were placed beside the corpses.
He said the IPO called the photographer on his handset and after taking the photographs, he (Asawa) handed over the arms and ammunition to the armourer while the cutlass and two knives were handed over to the IPO.
Police Constable Haruna Sale who was also on duty at the stop and search point at Gimbiya Street, Area 11, on the day of the shooting corroborated Yakubu Philibus' statements.
The Commission continues sitting today.