Policeman injures 3, kills 1 after Juma’at prayers in Sokoto
One police sergeant, Bello Garba, has been arrested and detained in Sokoto state for allegedly killing one person and injuring three others on Friday.
25-year-old Aminu Abdulrahman was shot to death and three others, Junaidu Abba, Babangida Muhammad and Awaisu Alti were injured.
ASP Muhammad Sadiq, Sokoto State Police Command Public Relations Officer, confirmed this to newsmen in Sokoto while condemning the Sergeant’s unprofessional conduct.
Expounding on the shooting, he explained that victims were sharing money distributed by Gov. Aminu Tambuwal during the Juma’at prayers at Sultan Bello Jumu’at mosque when the shooting happened.
“The incident took place at about 2:30 pm, shortly after the special Juma’at prayers offered in commemoration of Nigeria’s forthcoming 60th independence anniversary at Sultan Bello Juma’at Mosque.
“Governor Aminu Tambuwal while magnanimously giving out gifts to the needy, a brief distribution which gave birth to an upsurge in would-be beneficiaries.
“However, in an unconventional effort to control the crowd after the departure of the governor, the policeman fired the shot. The sergeant unprofessionally fired without reasonable justification at the time,” he said.
Sergeant Garba of Counter Terrorism Unit Base 18 Gusau, was attached to Government House Sokoto.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Sani Kaoje, has ordered the detention and trial of the erring officer and charged the state Criminal Investigation Department to speed up the investigation.
