Police in Taraba order arrest of former LG chair over murder of lawmaker 

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By our reporter, Jalingo

The Taraba State Police Commissioner,  Mr. David Iloyomonon has said that the Police has already deployed detectives to ensure the arrest of a former chairman of Takum Local Government Council, Mr. Shiban Tikari, over the abduction and murder of late Hon. Hosea Ibi, former member representing Takum I Constituency in the state Assembly.

The police boss who disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Command headquarters in Jalingo on Thursday, said the Police were all out to ensure the arrest of the former LG boss over his alleged complicity in the murder of the late lawmaker.

The late lawmaker was kidnapped on December 30, 2017 while his decomposed body was found at the old site of SCC (Kwari) along Takum-Kashimbila road in Takum Local Government Area 16 days after he was kidnapped by unknown gunmen from his house located opposite Ada Barracks in Takum.

Apex News Exclusive reports that two persons who were earlier arrested by the Police and charged to court in connection with the incident allegedly mentioned the former Chairman of Takum Local Government Tikari as the mastermind of  the murder of the late lawmaker. 

A Taraba High Court presided over by Justice Joel Agya who is also the Chief Judge of the state in February this year convicted the two accused persons and sentenced them to death by hanging. 

The two convicts during cross examination had confessed that they were contracted by Tikari to abduct the late lawmaker. 

According to the convicts, the initial plan was not to kill the lawmaker but for them to demand for ransom, adding that the former council Chairman later changed his mind and directed them to  kill their victim. 

During the judgement in the case last February, the chief judge of the State, Justice Agya wonder why Tikari, former Chairman of Takum local government who was implicated by the two convicts as the mastermind of the killing was not arrested or prosecuted by the police. 

Justice Agya during the judgement urged the police to arrest and prosecute Tikari Shiban for his alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of the lawmaker.