The Police Command Sokoto State has confirmed the arrest and detention of Police Sergeant, Bello Garba, who allegedly shot one person to death and injured three others on Friday in Sokoto.
The command said that the Sergeant shot 25-year-old Aminu Abdulrahman to death and injured Junaidu Abba, Babangida Muhammad and Awaisu Alti.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammad Sadiq, made the confirmation to newsmen in Sokoto.
The police spokesman said the victims were evacuated to Specialist Hospital Sokoto for treatment and autopsy.
The victims were said to be sharing money doled out by Gov. Aminu Tambuwal during the Juma’at prayers to mark Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary, held at Sultan Bello Jumu’at mosque.
Sadiq said that the Sergeant, of Counter Terrorism Unit Base 18 Gusau, was attached to Government House Sokoto.
He said that “the policeman unprofessionally fired without reasonable justification at that material time.”
”The Sokoto State Police Command condemns in its entirety the unwarranted, uncivil and unprofessional conduct of a Police Sergeant on special duty in the state.
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”Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sani Kaoje had ordered the detention and trial of the erring officer and charged the state Criminal Investigation Department to speed up investigation and come up with objective findings,” Sadiq said.
He added that the commissioner also charged all officers and men of the Command to deploy professional acumen, including psychological capacity to enhance the safety of the people, and not to resort to using arms against the populace.
”The incident occurred at about 2:30 pm, shortly after the special Juma’at prayers offered in commemoration of Nigeria’s forthcoming 60th independence anniversary at Sultan Bello Juma’at Mosque.
”The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal while magnanimously giving out gifts to the needy, a brief distribution which gave birth to an upsurge in would-be beneficiaries.
“However, in an unconventional effort to control the crowd after the departure of the governor the policeman fired the shot,” Sadiq added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prayers were earlier offered for peace and stability in the country during the Friday prayer attended by Tambuwal, alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III and Indonesia Ambassador to Nigeria, Usra Harahap.
Others were the Speaker, State Assembly, Alhaji Aminu Acida, Secretary to State Government, Alhaji Saidu Umar, the state Chief Judge, Justice Saidu Sifawa and the Acting Grand Khadi, Shuaibu Sodangi-Acida, heads of security agencies and hundreds of Muslim faithful.
The Chief Imam of Sultan Bello Jumu’at mosque Sokoto, Sheikh Malami Liman-Akwara led the special independence day prayer. (NAN)