Maiduguri
Borno state Police Command has debunked media reports that the 10 women released along with the University of Maiduguri lecturers by Boko Haram insurgents were police women.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Damian Chukwu, made the clarification yesterday at a monthly press briefing held at the command headquarters in Maiduguri.
“To avoid any doubt APNo70671, Inspector Fatsuma Saleh, who is a close friend of the Late Sgt Rahila Antikirya is the only serving police woman missing alongside FNo49976 Abubakar Haruna of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIAB),” he said.
According to him, “the other nine women released along with the female inspector are missing friend and relations of the deceased who took advantage of the space in the Police lorry to follow the convoy that was attacked in an ambush by the Boko Haram insurgents.”
He added that the released women were relations and friends of the deceased, Sgt Rahilla Antikirya and were neither police women nor police wives, stressing that FNO 347543, Sgt Bala Tiseh of the State Intelligence Bureau was the only police man that was killed in the ambushed.
According to him, the friends and relations of the late Sergeant Rahila whose corpse was being conveyed to her home town, Lassa, for burial were ambushed by Boko Haram terrorists about 36 kilometers away from Maiduguri along the Maiduguri-Dambia- Biu road.
The police commissioner, however, called on media organisations to always cross check facts before going to the press in order for the general public to be guided.
