A Deputy
Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations at the FCT Command, Usman Umar and a corp member, Precious Owolabi have been confirmed killed in a clash between the Shiites and police personnel
in Abuja.
According
to a statement from the Force Headquarters, DCP Umar was killed in a protest
involving about 3000 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) who have
been calling for the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
The
police communique as issued by DCP Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations
Officer, states that two Assistant Superintendents of Police were injured in
the clash which also saw Precious Owolabi, a corp member with Channels Television, who sustained serious
injuries was later confirmed dead last night.
The
statement further stressed that the protesters who were heavily armed, defied
all sense of decency and violently attacked innocent citizens and police
personnel on duty within the Central Business District of Abuja.
It
also states that the protesters razed down a National Emergency Management
Agency (NEMA) Response Post close to the Federal Secretariat, Abuja and two
vehicles.
Meanwhile,
the police say they have arrested fifty-four (54) suspects in connection with
the incidents, adding that the suspects are undergoing interrogation and will
be arraigned in court as soon as possible.
The
IGP, while commiserating with the family of the late DCP, condemned the
incident and warned that ‘Enough-is-Enough’ as the Force and the nation at
large will not continue to suffer losses on account of reckless and lawless
persons and groups in the society.
