Policeman arrested over Facebook posts calling for reprisals on Taraba cops’ killing

A mobile policeman currently deployed to Yobe State, Sunday Japhet has been arrested over a series of Facebook posts, which were apparently deemed inappropriate by the authorities. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Sumonu Abdulmaliki, confirmed his arrest but didn’t state when it was effected.

It was learned that Japhet is being detained at the Zone XII Police Headquarters, Bauchi. In two of the posts, which he made on August 9, Japhet called on his colleagues to revenge the unprovoked attack on a police special team by soldiers in Ibi, Taraba State, in which three policemen were killed.

Japhet also told his colleagues to ignore the plea for calm by their superior officers, while also accusing the military hierarchy of defending the soldiers involved in the killing.

Japhet wrote: “The activities of illiterate so-called army of a country like Nigeria is (getting) out of hand. I swear, we have to just make a revenge mission. You are a liar if you say soldiers can stand mopol (mobile police officer). We are not ready to listen to our officers saying calm down, while the so call(ed) army officers (are) defending their boys. Those guys (deceased policemen) can’t just be killed leaving their families to suffer like that.”

In another post, he criticised President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who he called “a man of God without truth”.

He also accused the police hierarchy, particularly the Inspector General of Police of deliberately inflicting suffering on policemen on special duty by withholding their allowances for several months. He alleged that they keep such monies in fixed deposit accounts for three to four months to yield interest for them and their cohorts before paying those concerned their entitlements.

He also spoke about a planned protest by mobile policemen deployed in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states over their unpaid allowances, which is slated for today, adding that he hoped it would mark the “beginning of something in this great country led by evil men”.