We are not culpable for sergeant’s killings, Borno police say
The police were reacting to questions being raised on whether or not the command was regulating the possession of arms by policemen outside their duty posts. Sunday Trust reports that by midnight of 25th November, 2009, one Sergeant Philip Gwamdu attached to B’ operation unit of the police headquarters, shot and killed his wife, Saraya […]
The police were reacting to questions being raised on whether or not the command was regulating the possession of arms by policemen outside their duty posts.
Sunday Trust reports that by midnight of 25th November, 2009, one Sergeant Philip Gwamdu attached to B’ operation unit of the police headquarters, shot and killed his wife, Saraya Philip at Mashmari police barracks in Maiduguri while intending to kill his son, Emmanuel Philip, whom he accused of being notorious. Residents had said that the cop who hailed from Michika in Adamawa State had long been a drunk who repeatedly made open threats to kill his family and commit suicide. Observers therefore wondered how the command didn’t know about his conducts and why he was allowed to be in possession of loaded service rifle in his residence. Similarly, another policeman was arrested about a month ago after he wore a mask and robbed some residents using his service K2 riffle.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO in the command, ASP Isa Azare however absolved the command of any blame, noting that the late sergeant violated a standing policy which required that all arms be returned to the police armoury as soon as a policeman was to leave duty post. Azare said that Philips failed to return the rifle to the armoury and given his experience in the force spanning about 20-year, no one expected him to behave like that.
“We have a standing order in the police, in fact there is a circular even from the IG on it, that all policemen must return their arms to the armoury immediately after duty, only officers are allowed to sign for pistols and go home with them and even at that the pistols are regularly checked. No one is allowed to take home an AK-47 rifle. Sergeant Philips was with the quick intervention unit on standby at the headquarters in case of unforeseen developments. He was armed for that purpose, but he was expected to return the rifle to the armoury, like he normally did in previous times. But for that day he shot his wife and himself when he illegally went home with the rifle. He had an ulterior motive. The police command cannot be held on the action of one or two bad eggs out of thousands of others. We have many policemen who are law-abiding, which is why such abuse of arms is still rare in the command,” the PPRO noted.