Investigation Commences After FCCPC Director Died During A Fight With Female Colleague

The Governing Board of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has instituted an investigative panel to probe the death of its North-West Zonal Director, Julius Haruna.

The secretary of the board in Abuja, Tam Tamunokonbia, in a statement on Tuesday, said Haruna died in the commission’s office on Wednesday in Katsina State.

Tamunokonbia said available information showed that Haruna was involved in a dispute which escalated to fisticuffs with an employee of the commission, Muibat Abdusalam.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Tamunokonbia said the board had also directed an immediate but temporary relief of relevant leadership and operatives within the commission to ensure fair, transparent and credible investigation.

Tamunokonbia said a legal practitioner and a member of the board, Dr Ben Nwoye, had been appointed as the chairman of the investigation panel constituted to investigate the events that led to the death of the director.

He said retired AVM Wakili Ahmed, another member of the board, was also appointed as co-chairman of the panel.

Tamunokonbia said the board directed that representatives from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, be invited as members of the panel.

“The Katsina State Police command is currently continuing its own investigations. Abdusalam is currently detained by the command.

“The commission will continue to make appropriate, full and frank disclosures of information, any investigative outcomes and or judicial processes, where applicable.

“The commission notwithstanding continues to discharge its mandate including across the North-West region,” he said.

Tamunokonbia said the board extended its condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased.