IGP, Mohammed Adamu

Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdur -Rahman, has berated a section of the media for allegedly misrepresenting his comments on Kajuru killings.

He said at a press conference on Friday in Kaduna that media reports that he disagreed with Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai over number of those killed in the Feb. 11 attack on Fulani settlements as sheer mischief.

According to him, his chat with the media on Thursday was only to brief them on ongoing investigation into the case and at no time did he disagree with the governor on the number of casualties.

He stressed that his comments were purely professional and to assure all residents of adequate security.

Abdur-Rahman noted that the police was aware that some journalists had been contracted to politicise the incident and ridicule security agencies.

He added that the media reports were “misrepresentation of fact aimed at creating unnecessary misconceptions in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public”.

“It should therefore be disregarded and discountenanced by members of the public. It is understood clearly that some unscrupulous elements among the press have been contracted to heat up the atmosphere by politicising the Kajuru crisis and in doing so, ridicule security agencies”.

“The command  only tried  to apprise members of  the public to understand the situation as Police  investigation is ongoing and more casualty figures could be expected when the investigation is completed”.

“In a crisis of this nature and magnitude, casualty figures can change until the investigation is over. Thus, even the figure initially given might change with time as more hamlets affected by the crisis are being discovered through investigation and intelligence”.

“The Command wishes to state that, while respecting the rights of the media to disseminate information for the good of the nation, it will not condone deliberate mischief and reckless reportage/publication that could disrupt the hard earned peace being enjoyed by the good people of Kaduna State.”

He reassured members of the public that the police is doing everything possible to ensure peaceful atmosphere in state while efforts are also on to fish out perpetrators of the recent violence.

On the election, the police commissioner assured the public of “formidable security” as they go out to vote, adding that enough policemen had been deployed to polling units and environs, while surveillance Aircraft would be used to safeguard the election process for peaceful conduct. (NAN)