•Says it usurped Taraba Governor’s powers
Foremost human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday called for the disbandment of the panel set up by the Defence Headquarters to investigate the killing of policemen and a civilian by soldiers of the 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Takum, Taraba State. The soldiers had also freed a kidnap kingpin arrested by the policemen.

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Falana said the panel usurped the powers exclusively conferred on the Governor of Taraba State by virtue of the Commission of Enquiry Law of Taraba State.
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The Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya-led panel, which sat for three weeks in Taraba and Abuja, was billed to submit its report last week to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin. But it failed to do so, raising concerns over the rationale behind the delay in submitting the panel’s report.
However, THISDAY gathered that the panel received additional submissions and video evidences, which required collation. Although, the Chief of Defence Staff had told the chairman of the panel to submit the report last Friday, which did not happen.
But Falana weighed in with a call for the disbandment of the committee on the grounds of unconstitutionality. He said the panel appropriated the powers of the Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku.
According to Falana, “We have confirmed that while a team of policemen was taking a high profile kidnap suspect, one Alhaji Hamisu Bala, from a remote community to Command Headquarters, Jalingo, Taraba State, on Tuesday, August 7, 2019, some soldiers opened fire on them along Ibi-Wukari road.
“As a result of the violent attack, three policemen and a civilian were killed in cold blood while other policemen were seriously injured.
“After the brutal killing, the soldiers proceeded to free the alleged notorious suspect. In a bid to cover up the unlawful killing of the four people, the authorities of the Nigerian Army claimed that it was ‘a case of mistaken identity.’”