Ime Akpan
Channels Television yesterday lost another reporter, Mr. Precious Owolabi, 23, when members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise called Shi’ites staged a bloody protest yesterday in Abuja.
Owolabi, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, was said to have been hit by a stray bullet while he and some other crew members of the television house were covering the bloody violent protest by the Islamic sect.
He was rushed to a hospital and confirmed dead thereafter arrival.
His death came seven years after gunmen suspected to have been members of the Boko Haram sect shot and killed the media house’s 31-year-old Enenche Akogwu outside the Kano State government house while in the line of duty.
The reporter who was recording the location of the multiple bomb attacks that occurred Kano on January 20, 2012 was shot shortly after arriving at the scene of the Farm center police station attack in Kano.
Also yesterday, a deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations at the FCT police command, Mr. Umar Usman was fatally shot as he tried to pacify the Shi’ites who had disrupted commercial activities and vehicular movement during the bloody protest.
The police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, in a statement, confirmed Umar’s death.
“Another violent protest by members of the El-Zakzaky group involving over 3000 of its followers took place today, 22nd July, 2019 at about 12:30pm within the Central Business District of Abuja.
“The heavily armed protesters, defying all sense of decency violently attacked innocent citizens and police personnel on duty.
“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,” said Mba.
Besides, the Shi’ites attacked the Federal Secretariat Emergency Response and Ambulance Bay with petrol bombs and set ablaze two emergency vehicles and the entire bay estimated at N200 million.
The Islamic group also overran the sub-station of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and torched its building and several of its vehicles.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) outpost at the Federal Secretariat was overrun, with the building, an ambulance and another vehicle razed down.
The car park at the federal secretariat was not spared of the attack, as five cars belonging to civil servants were torched.
The Guardian reports that explosions from the burning cars rent the air as many workers scampered for safety.
However, the security operatives successfully prevented the Shiites from entering the national assembly.
For its part, IMN said it lost about 11 members, while 30 other sustained severe injuries.
“What actually happened was that the protesters started the procession from NITEL junction and on getting to the Federal Secretariat, the police cordoned off the road and started firing at them.
“A lot of people have been shot, but for now we can only confirm 11 deaths. Also, several protesters have been injured, the figure for now stands at 30. However, we are aware of the fact that the security agents have been going around taking off those they killed from the streets.
“Even some seriously injured persons that were taken to Abuja University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, the police went there and took away about 11 people they shot during the protest.”
“We strongly dispute the claim by the police that the protesters shot at them because throughout our processions we have not been carrying any arms right from 2015 to date,” said the spokesman for the Shi’ites, Mallam Ibrahim Musa in a statement.
Meanwhile, the inspector general of police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed him to take steps to protect all Nigerians wherever they may be.
Adamu who spoke with journalists in Abuja after a closed door meeting with the president said:
“We came this morning (yesterday) to brief Mr. President on the security situation in the country, especially the activities of the IMN. Just to give him 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.”
On the president’s reaction, Adamu said: “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 for breakdown of law and order.”
