By: Bayero Ade
Normalcy has returned to Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following a violent clash on Friday that resulted in the death of one person due to a suspected accidental discharge by a police officer.
According to NAN, a correspondent who visited the area on Saturday noted that residents were seen carrying on with their daily activities, and the situation appeared to have stabilized.
Several residents shared details of the incident with journalists, stating that the clash began around 7:00 p.m. at the Tipper Garage area of Kuje, following a heated argument between two men.
According to witness Bulus Ayuba, the dispute began after the two men exited a nearby supermarket. When the argument escalated, a police officer stationed at the supermarket attempted to intervene.
Ayuba explained that the police officer’s efforts to calm the situation were unsuccessful as the argument drew a growing crowd. “When the crowd became large and the officer found himself unable to control the situation, he tried to shoot into the air to disperse the crowd,” Ayuba said. “Unfortunately, someone in the crowd touched the officer’s gun, causing it to misfire and hit a person in the head.”
Another witness, Philip Adeyeye, recounted that after the victim was rushed away, the situation grew more chaotic, with angry youths protesting. “The youths set a vehicle parked outside the supermarket on fire,” he said.
It took the intervention of the military and the deployment of additional police personnel to restore order in the area.
The Commissioner of Police for the FCT, Olatunji Disu, confirmed the incident, noting that the officer involved had been taken into custody. Disu added that an investigation into the matter was underway.
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