Police Arrest Officer As Residents Protest Alleged Killing Of 52-Year-Old Man In Abuja Community

The FCT Police Command has arrested a policeman who killed a 52-year-old man, Solomon Eze, following protest by residents of Karimo, a community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Eze was shot dead on Sunday evening at about 6:00pm, when policemen went to the community to arrest a yet to be identified male suspect, as part of an ongoing robbery investigation.

According to The Nation, the arrest was successfully made, but the suspect started to draw attention of residents by shouting as he was being taken away.

It was learnt that some persons, who had gathered, tried to resist the arrest and in the confusion that ensued Eze, a bystander, was fatally hit by a gunshot from one of the policemen.

It was gathered that the suspect escaped in the commotion, and incident generated a lot of anger among members of the community who took to the streets to protest the killing of an innocent man.

“We are angry. Does life not mean anything anymore? How can someone who has done nothing wrong be brought down like that by someone who is supposed to protect him.

“I can tell you that the emotion is so high now that it took all we could to hold some of our people, especially the youths from doing something drastic in retaliation.

“We are law abiding citizens but justice must be done in this case. It would not be healthy for us if everyone decides to get justice their own way. We call on relevant authorities to ensure they get to the bottom of this matter and ensure justice for Eze’s family, the community and Nigerians at large,” a resident, who did not want to be named, said.

The Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma, on Monday ordered an investigation into the incident.

A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, revealed that the policeman that shot the deceased has been identified and arrested.

“The Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Bala Ciroma, has ordered a discreet investigation into an unfortunate gunshot incident that led to the death of one Solomon Eze ‘m’ 52 years old at Karimo on Sunday 10th May, 2020 at about 6:00pm.

“The Policeman identified to have shot the deceased has been arrested and he is currently in detention.

“While commiserating with the family and friends of the deceased, the Commissioner of Police wishes to assure members of the public that the Command will be transparent in its investigation and the findings will be made public.”

KanyiDaily had also reported that a young man was killed by a police officer during a protest by youths of the Nkpor area of Onitsha over the coronavirus lockdown order in Anambra State.