Taraba police commissioner attacked, scores feared killed

The Commissioner of police in Taraba State, David Akinremi, was on Monday attacked by irate youths. He was stoned in the head.

The incident occurred at Tudun Wada area of Jalingo in the morning.

The police chief was rushed to the hospital where he was treated and later discharged.

Police spokesman, David Misal, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said the commissioner was in good health, as at press time. Although, he did not pick call when The Nation rang his telephone line.

Misal told reporters in Jalingo -the Taraba State capital, that the police commissioner and his men had gone to Tudun Wada to restore normalcy, following reports of youths unrest, “only for him to be stoned in the head.”

Several arrests were made.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that some of the youths were killed by the police, which Misal denied knowledge of.

The police spokesman said: “On Monday, some irate youths armed with dangerous weapons including cutlasses, axes and other objects started disturbing the peace of residents around Tudun Wada and Gada Boboji areas of Jalingo town.

“Our men were deployed there and normalcy returned. However, this morning we got reports that the boys had come out again in large numbers brandishing these weapons and the situation was so bad that the commissioner of police decided to go there himself with other officers.

“In the course of addressing the youths, to calm them down, he was stoned in the head.

“He was immediately rushed to the hospital and treated of the injury. For now, he has been discharged and is taking his rest at home.

“As we speak, a serious operation in going on there to calm the situation and forestall further breakdown of law and order in the area”.

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Misal warned that the command would never sit back and watch people take the law into their own hands and unleash mayhem on the people.

“I can assure you that the command would make sure that normalcy is completely maintained in the area and the perpetrators of this crime be are brought to book. Several arrests have been made already and thorough investigation would be carried out.

“Let me use this opportunity to call on members of the public to always report any suspicious elements to the police, with assurance that their identities would be safeguarded.

“The police in the state operate with the best professional practice and would not tolerate anyone assaulting officers who are making huge sacrifices to ensure the protection of lives and property of citizens”, Misal said.

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