A Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations at the FCT Command, Usman Umar, has 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 a Staff of Channels Television sustain serious injuries.
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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.
