Two residents of Abuja, Sunday Danjuma, and Jacob Audu, have sustained gunshot wounds after they were shot by police operatives for resisting the demolition of their homes.
The violent clash reportedly erupted after the displaced residents confronted police officers stationed at the community’s entrance to salvage what was left from their property from the demolished houses..
The Community chairman, Zakari Baba, confirmed the incident on Monday, stating that the chaos began when officers prevented residents from retrieving their properties.
“Trouble started around 10 a.m. when police officers stationed at the main entrance blocked residents from gaining access to retrieve their properties,” Baba explained. “Some of them tried to force their way in, and that was when the police began shooting.”
The incident occurred in the Karsana community, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday, and the victims, hit by bullets, are receiving treatment at the Gwagwa health centre, according to Baba.
Also, the FCT’s representative at the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Musa Dikko, verified the shooting, noting that the police were attempting to disperse the protesting natives when the injuries occurred.
“I personally visited the community after getting a distress call about the shootings,” Dikko said. “We have managed to calm the situation, and we’ve summoned the developer responsible for the demolition to our office to clarify who authorised the action.”
Efforts to contact spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, SP Adeh Josephine, by The Guild for comments have, however, been unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls or messages.