Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - There was pandemonium in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital as personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) allegedly shot and killed a woman while attempting to capture hoodlums.
The tragic incident, which occurred on Wednesday, April 10,
2024, while Muslims faithful gathered to observe Eid prayer, has sparked
outrage and unrest among residents, leading to an escalation of tensions in the
area.
Eyewitness narrated that the NSCDC personnel, in their
pursuit of suspected hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons, opened fire
indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic death of an innocent woman.
In response to the shooting, an angry mob gathered and vented
their frustration by setting ablaze an NSCDC vehicle in protest of the
incident.
The spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP
Yazid Abubakar, who confirmed the incident to Channels Television, said two
NSCDC personnel linked with the shooting are currently in custody of the
police.
Abubakar said the command is still investigating the cause of
the incident.
“We have two of them in our custody as we speak now, they are
the ones that shot the gun, though the command is still investing the
incident," he said.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the NSCDC in Zamfara
State, Ikor Oche, denied the allegation that the men of the Civil Defence shot
the victim.
He said the personnel of the Corps were at their stationed
post, observing the movements of the Muslims faithful who were out to observe
the Eid prayer when they heard the gunshot.
According to him, they mobilized to the scene where they met
a woman fatally injured.
"Our men were stationed at the central roundabout, close
to UBA Bank, they heard a gunshot from the other side around Zenith Bank. They
moved to the area and found a woman with gunshot injury
“Because they were the ones close to the scene, mob descended
on them. They had to run for their safety and abandoned their Hilux vehicle.
The vehicle was set ablaze by the mob and about seven of our men were injured.
They did not shoot or kill anybody," he said.
Oche said the state command of NSCDC has also launched an
investigation to unravel the cause of the incident.
Meanwhile, men of the Nigerian Police have dispersed the mob who were vandalizing the already burnt vehicle of the Civil Defence and normalcy has been returned in the area.
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