President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to secure Abuja at all cost and provide security for every Nigerian.
The order followed yet another violent clash in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal capital, on Monday between members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and the men of the Nigeria Police and the military, in which a deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in charge of Operation at FCT was reportedly shot and killed while two other police officers and one journalist were seriously injured.
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The IMN members, otherwise called Shiites, are protesting the continued detention of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who has been held in detention by the Buhari government since 2015.
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The IGP, who spoke to State House correspondents after briefing President Buhari on the protests, vowed that he would enforce the orders.
“The President asked us to make sure we provide security for every citizen of this country and not to leave any space that some group of people will create breakdown of law and order,” Adamu said.
He said he was at the Presidential Villa to brief Mr. President on the security situation in the country, especially the activities of the IMN, and to provide “an update of what is happening in the country vis-a-vis their activities”.
“Specifically, we briefed him of the incessant act coming out of this group of people, protesting here and there. We briefed him on the fact that we have been able to curtail their excesses and to let him understand that everything is under control,” he said.
The Shiites’ Monday’s clash with the security forces was one in a succession of recent clashes, preceded by the attempt by the sect members to invade the National Assembly two weeks ago, where they allegedly shot and inflicted injuries on some security agents.
Yesterday’s clash led to the death of DCP Umar who was killed by the protesters while trying to prevent the violent action of destruction of property when the sect besieged the busy Federal Secretariat and Three Arms Zone in Abuja.
Confirming the clash in a statement on Monday, Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, said members of the El-Zazakky group involving over 3,000 trooped to the Central Business District of Abuja at about 12:30, adding that the heavily armed protesters defied all sense of decency as they violently attacked innocent citizens and police personnel on duty.
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“In the process, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, FCT Command, DCP Usman A.K Umar, was shot and fatally injured by the protesters. The officer who was immediately rushed to the hospital died moments later while receiving treatment. Also, two (2) Assistant Superintendents of Police and a Staff of Channels Television sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment. The violent protesters also razed down a National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Response Post close to the Federal Secretariat, Abuja and two (2) vehicles,” the statement said.
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The police also noted that they have arrested 54 suspects in connection with the incident, stressing that the suspects are undergoing interrogation and will be arraigned in court as soon as possible.
Decrying the killing of DCP Umar while commiserating with the family of the deceased, IGP Adamu said, “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.”
IGP Adamu had issued an order restricting all forms of protests to the popular Unity Fountain, but it appeared the sect had defied that order by extending their protests to other parts of the capital city.
The group had, in a statement on Sunday signed by Ibrahim Musa, president of its media forum, and made available to the media in Kaduna, said the Presidency was hypocritical on the El-Zakzaky issue, stressing it was on record that since December 2016 a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided by Justice Kolawole, had freed Sheikh Zakzaky and restored his fundamental human rights, but the government has contemptuously refused to obey that court order.
INNOCENT ODOH & TONY AILEMEN, Abuja
