Crisis Rocks Abuja As Police Officer ‘Mistakenly’ Kills Resident
Calm has been restored to Kuje, a community in Abuja, following a violent confrontation on Friday evening that left one person dead after a suspected accidental discharge by a police officer.
Some residents who spoke on the development recounted that the altercation began around 7 p.m. near the Tipper Garage area when a disagreement broke out between two men.
Eyewitness Mr. Bulus Ayuba said the dispute started after the two men exited a supermarket in the area.
“The police officer attached to the supermarket stepped in to resolve the issue when the argument became tense,” he said.
Ayuba explained that despite the officer’s efforts to defuse the situation, the commotion continued to draw a growing crowd.
“When the crowd was much and the police officer became helpless, he attempted to shoot into the air to disperse the crowd. Unfortunately, somebody in the crowd touched the gun and that was how he missed it and shot someone on the head,” he said.
Another witness, Mr. Philip Adeyeye, described the chaos that followed, as enraged youths took to the streets in protest.
“A vehicle parked at the premises of the supermarket was razed down by the angry youths,” he said.
Authorities deployed additional police personnel and military forces to restore order.
Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Olatunji Disu, stated that the officer involved had been taken into custody and that an investigation was underway.
