‘Shiites have declared total war on us’ - FCT Commissioner of Police says as he mourns officers killed in Abuja

Monday, August 26, 2024-Tensions flared in the nation's capital on Sunday, August 25, as a procession by the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, commonly referred to as the Shiites, escalated into violence, resulting in the deaths of two police officers and a local trader at the popular Wuse Market in Abuja.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Commissioner, Benneth Igweh, expressed his deep displeasure over the incident, highlighting the severe consequences of the confrontation. Igweh labelled the actions of the Shiite group as "provocative," especially their attacks on security operatives, which also left two policewomen critically injured.

During a statement to the press at Force Headquarters, Igweh strongly condemned the violence and vowed that such attacks on police personnel would not be tolerated under his watch. "Their killers will not go unpunished," Igweh stated, underscoring his commitment to bringing those responsible to justice.

The clash also saw substantial property damage, with at least three police vehicles reported to have been set ablaze amidst the turmoil. Igweh said; 

“You can see now that these people (Shiites) have killed my men. They even went ahead to injure two policewomen. In fact, they’ve even declared war on security operatives.

“We spoke to their lawyer, if you heard what he was saying, you would be shocked, you would know that these people have declared total war on us. I want to assure you that we won’t take that lightly, this is the last protest or procession they will carry out in FCT.”