Shites Say Police Stray Bullet Killed DCP, Channels Reporter

By Our Reporter

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN otherwise known as the Shite have disowned responsibility for the death of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, the Channels Television reporter and all others who died in the mayhem in Abuja on Monday.

The group in a statement responding to the deaths said their members who went out to march were completely without arms and could not have shot at anyone. The group in the statement issued by Ibrahim Musa, president of the group’s Media Forum said the killings could only have been attributable to the policemen who the group said were the only ones who bore arms during the protest.

The group’s statement followed nationwide concern over the death of DCP Usman Umar, Channels TV reporter, Precious Owolabi among others.

Police spokesman, Frank Mba, a deputy commissioner of police, however, affirmed after the Shites were armed with lethal weapons which they deployed against innocent civilians and policemen.

But asserting that the members of the group were the victims and not instigators of the violence, the group said:

“The procession, attended by several thousands of persons, including very young children, the aged, women and the physically challenged, met with an extreme rage indicative of deep seated animosity the Nigerian authorities bear for the Movement.

“What actually happened was that the protesters started the procession from NITEL junction and on getting to federal secretariat the police cordoned off the road and started firing at them.

“A lot of people have been shot but for now we can only confirm 11 deaths, but several are injured, the figure for now stood at 30. Though we are aware of the fact that the security agents have been going around taking off those they killed from the streets.

“Even some seriously injured persons that were taken to Abuja University teaching Hospital Gwagwalada; the police went there and took away about 11 people they shot during the protest.

“We strongly dispute the claim by the police that the protesters shot at them because throughout our processions we have not been carrying any arms right from 2015 to date. It was also the police who shot at the Reporter of Channels TV, another indication that many innocent people were shot at by the police, including some of their own.

“In this era so social media the brutality displayed by the police today has been captured with some pictures showing the police setting up the bonfires and there are videos that captured the police carting away their victims.”

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