Posted by From Onwuka Nzeshi in Abuja on
Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Federal Capital Territory, Ibrahim Danjuma who has been in detention over his alleged involvement in the infamous Apo Six killings in Abuja yesterday begged for forgiveness.
* Group offers N5m for Othman's arrest
Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Federal Capital Territory, Ibrahim Danjuma who has been in detention over his alleged involvement in the infamous Apo Six killings in Abuja yesterday begged for forgiveness.
Appearing before the Justice Olasumbo Goodluck Commission of Inquiry for the first time yesterday, the alleged mastermind of the killings broke down in tears while saying, however, that he neither shot at the deceased traders nor did he order any policeman to open fire on them on that fateful night.
Danjuma pleaded for forgiveness from the Igbo community, the Commission of inquiry, the Nigerian Police Force, as well as the generality of Nigerians whose sensibilities may have been affected by the incident. He described the incident as unfortunate and not a deliberate attempt at ethnic cleansing by one group against the other.
In a testimony lasting about eight hours, Danjuma blamed his present ordeal on the envy, which he said, his position in the Nigerian Police Force had attracted in recent times and wondered why the erstwhile Divisional Police Officer, Garki, Abdusalam Othman who was detained alongside him was allowed to escape from custody.
According to him, the escape of Othman, a Chief Superintendent of Police had been planned by his (Danjuma's) detractors to put him in a difficult situation since it was he (Othman) that should have been making explanations as to the whereabouts of the deceased traders and not he who handed five of the six victims alive to him (Othman) at the Garki Police Station.
Proceedings at the Customary Court of Appeal, Jabi, Abuja, venue of the public sitting of the Commission of Inquiry went on yesterday amidst tight security as Danjuma believed to have been the man at the centre of the killings gave his testimony.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. John Olusegun Odubelu, Danjuma said that he began to trail the metallic ash Peugeot 406 car in which the victims were killed after he received distress calls that a similar vehicle had been used by a gang of armed robbers in two separate robbery incidents in Abuja that same night.
Danjuma repeatedly swore that he never meant to deliberately kill anyone, maintaining that what happened was unfortunate and part of the experiences that could occur on the job.
According to him, even though he had his service pistol on him during the operations it was Inspector Suleiman Audu, leader of the police squad at the Gimbiya Street check point that shot at the 406 Peugeot car.
He said that contrary to the evidence given by some witnesses before the panel only one person, a male died on the spot of the incident while he handed over five others alive to Othman.
"I swear to God I never ordered any extra-judicial killing. I am a trained police officer. I did not also order anybody to shoot at the car. The Inspector fired the shots. My pistol was with me and I actually brought it out but because of the confusion, I did not observe it was on safety. I never ordered the Inspector to shoot. There was no time for that because of the nature of the situation.
'In the name of God, this is not an ethnic cleansing against any group. My Lord as at the time this thing was happening we never knew that the people involved were Ibos. I mean it could have been people from any other tribe. It was not deliberate. My Lord, I am sorry for what happened," Danjuma said.
Under cross examination from Amobi Nzelu, counsel to the families of the five deceased males, Danjuma equally denied ever meeting the victims at any location before the shooting incident. A witness had earlier told the Commission that the victims had had a squabble with Danjuma that evening at a relaxation spot, but the police officer said it was untrue and a figment of the imagination of the witness.
Danjuma's testimony came even as Crime Stoppers Incorporated, a non governmental organisation joined in the manhunt for CSP Othman. The group, in a statement made available to THISDAY offered five million naira (N5m) to anyone who could provide "reliable information leading to the exact location and whereabouts" of the erstwhile boss of the Garki Police station.
Crime Stoppers Incorporated gave two telephone numbers through which the organisation could be reached but warned " only callers with genuine information will be entertained".
The group's statement signed by its Deputy Director, Dr. Bala Mohammed, pledged that it would guarantee the protection of the identity of anyone who volunteers information on the matter.