By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Taraba State Police Command has condemned the killing of a police officer, Asp Tapu Godfrey, by a local vigilante group in Sandirde village, Gassol LGA.
In a statement released on Wednesday, CP David Iloyanomon described the attack as “despicable and unwarranted.”
According to the statement, a team of special strike force operatives on routine patrol was ambushed by the vigilante group on May 4, 2024. Asp Tapu Godfrey was shot and later confirmed dead at the General Hospital in Sandirde.
CP Iloyanomon, accompanied by senior officers, visited Gassol on May 5 to meet with stakeholders, including the Emir of Gassol and the District Head of Sandirde. The meeting aimed to discuss the arrest of the attackers and develop strategies to improve security in the area.
The statement emphasised that the police are committed to apprehending the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
“The command has described the unprovoked criminal act of the gruesome murder of the officer as despicable and unwarranted,” the statement read. “Hence, the command has deployed intelligence and operational resources to sustain manhunt of the fleeing attackers and bring the perpetrators of this senseless act to book.”
CP Iloyanomon extended his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased officer and reassured the public of the police’s commitment to combating crime and criminality.