Dep Commissioner of Police shot dead in face-off with Shiites, as Buhari summons emergency security meeting 

A Deputy Commissioner of Police attached to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Umar Usman has reportedly been confirmed dead following a clash that occurred between Shiites and police on Monday.

According to preliminary information gathered, DCP Umar was allegedly killed by the protesters while trying to placate them.

It was also learnt that security has been beefed up at the Force Headquarters to prevent reprisal attacks over the arrest of scores of the protesters who are demanding the release of their sect leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky.

In response to the development, President Muhammadu Buhari summoned an emergency security meeting. This ws disclosed via the official twitter handle of the Presidency. The tweet read, “Security Meeting ongoing at the State House: President @MBuhari presiding”.

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Meanwhile, Abdullahi Musa, the Secretary of IMN Academic Forum, blamed the police for the fatal clash.

He reportedly said that the “Security forces led by the Nigeria Police shot at our members, and injured many others. I can confirm to you that, we have carried away six dead bodies belonging to our members.

“The security agents also lifted some corpses to unknown destinations. We are yet to account for some of our members who came out to protest today. We believe the number of casualties may increase before today ends.”

Musa also dismissed claims that members of the Islamic group provoked the police through undue confrontation before the shootings began.

“Our protest began from NITEL junction through Ahmadu Bello Way to the Federal Secretariat. On our arrival, we were still preparing to pray and disperse peacefully before live ammunitions were released at our members to forcefully send us home. We were unarmed. We couldn’t have confronted armed policemen,” he added.

He, however, accused security operatives of masterminding the vandalisation of public properties after the shootings to win public sympathy.

He said, “No member of our movement was involved in the setting ablaze of vehicles and the outpost of NEMA ablaze as alleged. But we know the authorities have been making frantic efforts to blackmail us and sway the public sympathy against IMN and Sheikh El-Zakzaky.

“We are aware the police have been sending paid agents in plain clothes to infiltrate our meetings and disturb public peace in the name of IMN. But the Nigerian people are already frustrated and oppressed by this administration. The government can’t get the public sympathy they are desire, because its agents are committing crimes against humanity.”

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