Police deny shooting NURTW members in Abuja

The FCT Police Command said viral reports that its personnel shot at National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members during a Monday fracas in their office in Garki II, Abuja were false and misleading. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, SP Josephine Adeh made the clarification in a statement. Adeh disclosed that at 7:00 am on Monday, the command received a distress call reporting that about 300 individuals, armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows, and arrows, had stormed the NURTW headquarters along Sapele Street, Garki II, Abuja, and were removing items from the premises. She explained that in a swift response, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Isyaku Sharu, led a response team to the scene. "Upon arrival, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were attempting to enforce a court order on the premises without the presence of court sheriffs and other officials. "This action degenerated into a physical confrontation when other members of the NURTW attempted to resist them. "Which led to one victim being inflicted with severe machete wounds to the neck. "He was rescued by the Police team, while several others who sustained varying degrees of injuries were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment," the statement reads in part. She said seven suspects were arrested, namely Sulaiman A. Musa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Alhaji Sadisu Musa, Dalha Suleiman, Abdullahi Garba, Saheed Fojebi, and Ibikunle T. Baruwa. The command spokesman added that the suspects have been charged to Magistrate court 1 Wuse Zone 2, while normalcy has since been restored to the area. Adeh stressed that the command remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents of the FCT. She urged members of the public to support security efforts by providing timely information through the command's emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938.