A member of the Plateau State security outfit, Operation Rainbow, has vowed to personally avenge the killing of its deputy commander, CSP David Babale.
DAILY POST reports that the officer was killed in an ambush on Tuesday by gunmen suspected to be Fulani terrorists while the team was on its way to Barkin Ladi Local Government Area after receiving intelligence about a planned attack at a mass burial.
In a tribute to the deceased posted on Facebook, the officer vowed that CSP Babale’s death would not be in vain, as he would personally go after his killers and bring them to justice.
Describing the late CSP as a father figure, leader and boss to officers of the outfit, the aggrieved personnel said that even if the attack was swept under the carpet, he would not let it slide, as he would make sure the perpetrators paid for what they had done.
“We gather with heavy hearts, not just to mourn a boss, but to honour a hero. CSP Dennis Babale did not just wear the uniform; he lived its meaning: honour, duty, courage,” he wrote.
Continuing, he added:
“He was a leader who led from the front. A boss who protected his men. A friend who stood by all who knew him. In a time when many would run from danger, he ran towards it… to protect the people of Plateau State.
“He fell on the battlefield, on duty, confronting terrorists. He did not die as a victim; he died as a gallant officer and hero, defending his fatherland. He paid the supreme price so that others might live.
“To us who worked under him, he was more than a Chief Superintendent of Police. He was a father, a teacher, a disciplinarian with a kind heart. He corrected in love, instructed with wisdom and cared deeply for the welfare of his team.
“The gun that took him can take a man, but it can never kill his legacy. His bravery, his sacrifice and his service to Nigeria will never be forgotten. Your death is a wound to the Nigeria Police Force, to Plateau State and to all of us who loved you.”
In another post, the officer said:
“Dear Sir,
“I can’t believe that you are gone, but if you are truly gone, then the killings have reached my doorstep, and I have no alternative but to pay life with life and blood with blood.
“Avenging your death is an assignment that must be carried out without delay; you paid the price for us to live; your blood cannot be spilled in vain.
“It has happened before at Panyam Fish Farm and yesterday in Barkin Ladi. This is one too many; the defenders of Plateau State’s defenceless citizens were ambushed, and a very senior officer paid the supreme price.
“It’s not our duty to kill bandits and terrorists; our duty is to send them to God, for judgement belongs to Him alone.”
‘Your death won’t be in vain’ – Operation Rainbow officer vows to avenge killing of superior