Tension swept through Zamfara State on Wednesday when a security operative, reportedly a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), mistakenly shot and killed a worshipper at an Eid prayer ground while pursuing hoodlums.
According to eyewitnesses, chaos ensued immediately after the incident as angry youths confronted the security operative.
The atmosphere in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, was fraught with outrage and escalating tensions as residents grappled with the shocking turn of events.
In a display of collective grief and anger, local residents expressed their dismay by setting an NSCDC vehicle ablaze. The incident highlighted the simmering tensions and underlying frustrations within the community.
Confirming the incident, Yazid Abubakar, spokesperson for the Nigerian Police in Zamfara State, said that two NSCDC personnel involved in the tragic event had been apprehended.
He assured the public that the police were conducting a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the fatal shooting.
“We have two of them in our custody as we speak now,” Abubakar said in a telephone interview. “They are the ones that shot the gun, though the command is still investigating the incident.”
However, Ikor Oche, spokesperson of the NSCDC in Zamfara, offered a different perspective, denying the allegation that NSCDC personnel were responsible for the fatal shooting. Oche explained that the NSCDC personnel were stationed at their post, monitoring the movements of Muslim faithful gathering for Eid prayers when they heard a gunshot from a nearby area.
“Our men were stationed at the central roundabout, close to UBA Bank,” Oche stated. “They heard a gunshot from the other side around Zenith Bank. They moved to the area and found a woman with a gunshot injury.”
Oche emphasized that the NSCDC personnel did not fire any shots and were instead targeted by a mob, forcing them to flee for their safety and abandon their vehicle, which was subsequently set ablaze. He further revealed that seven NSCDC personnel sustained injuries during the altercation.
The NSCDC’s state command in Zamfara has initiated its own investigation to uncover the underlying cause of the incident, reflecting the seriousness with which authorities are treating the matter amidst heightened tensions in the region.
