Many Casualties Rocks Kano Over Protest
Information reaching Ibom Focus says that Many Casualties Rocks Kano Over Protest
It was gathered some gangs of political thugs had clashed on Wednesday morning, disrupting peace in the area.
The police personnel deployed to the scene of the incident decided to shoot and release teargas canisters to disperse the thugs. Unfortunately, three persons were shot, eyewitnesses said.
Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usaini Gumel, said he acted “unprofessionally,” when, without receiving any command from the existing chain of command, fired a shot.
His shot also wounded two persons. The victim who died was receiving treatment at the Hospital before he gave up, police said.
Youths took to the streets in Kurna quarters along Katsina Road to protest the killing.
The protesters blocked the ever-busy Kano-Katsina-Daura highway for several hours, causing hardship to commuters and motorists who got stuck in the trouble zone.
The demonstration raised tension amid an alleged planned protest by a political group against the judgment of the Appeal Court on the state governorship election.
Police spokesman, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, in a statement said the police have regretted the action by the happy-trigger Inspector.
He added that the police commissioner, while commiserating with the family of the deceased, has constituted a panel to probe the killing, assuring that justice would be served.
Gumel appealed to the peace loving people of Kano not to allow “hijackers” to dabble devilishly into the matter to instigate the escalation of violence which will not be in the interest of the State, which he said, was in its trying time.
“The Police Command is following up on the unfortunate development that occurred in Kurna Quarters, Fagge local government area of Kano State on November 28, where groups of rival restive youths engaged in fighting and a Police Inspector who did not receive any command from the existing chain of Command fired a shot and unfortunately wounded two persons with one other person who died while receiving treatment at the Hospital.
“It is in the forgoing development that the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usaini Gumel, directed the Area Commander Dala, Nuhu Mohammed Digi to fish out the erring Police Inspector with a view to constituting a board of inquiry into the cause of the incident of which the outcome will be communicated to the public.
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“Few hours later, the Police Inspector has since been arrested and is now in Police custody.
“This action of the Police Inspector is quite regrettable. This is because, since the commissioner assumed office, the Police have never entered into confrontation with the members of the public, talk less of firing gunshot.
“It is a known fact that the Police Command is fully committed to the respect of rights and freedom of all people. Therefore, the Command is calling on members of the public to be rest assured that justice will be served in handling the situation which is quite strange when compared with the cordial relationship existing between the Police and the Public,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, The acting National Chairman of the New Nigeria People Party ( NNPP), Abba Kawu Ali, has condemned the killing of the Kano youth by the police Inspector.
“The NNPP, hereby brings to the attention of Nigerians and the world at large that the Nigeria Police have shot dead a young man, Salisu Player, somewhere around Kurna in Dala local government of Kano,” he said.
Ali, in a statement, said the party condemned the police brutality on the young man shot dead in Kano, calling for immediate investigation and respect for human rights.
He said: “Salisu Player is one of the three people shot while the others are in critical condition. The incident occurred yesterday evening during a peaceful protest.
“The NNPP has always asked the citizens to do their protest in a peaceful manner and the protest around Kurna where Salisu Player was shot, though spontaneous, was not different.
“It would appear that men of the Nigeria Police are ill-trained for handling even peaceful protests as we regret the recorded death which is painful and unfortunate.
“We commiserate with friends and family of the deceased as we urge all the people of Kano to remain calm and restrained from acting outside the rule of law.”
