The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has denied allegations that its personnel opened fire on members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, during a violent incident at the union’s headquarters in Garki II, Abuja.
While describing the claims as false and misleading, the Command explained that the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, was triggered when a group tried enforcing a court order, thereby leading to a clash that left several persons injured and seven suspects arrested.
In a statement on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said, “The FCT Police Command is aware of videos circulating on social media alleging that personnel of the Command shot at some members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at their headquarters in Garki II, Abuja.
“The Command wishes to state that these are false and misleading claims aimed at rousing public sentiments.”
She explained that the Command received a distress call at about 7:00 a.m. 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.”
According to her, 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,” she said.
She added that the situation escalated when some members of the union resisted the action.
“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 police said seven suspects were arrested at the scene and subsequently charged to Magistrate Court 1, Wuse Zone 2, while normalcy has been restored to the area.
Adeh reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to maintaining law and order, urging residents to support security agencies with timely information.
“The Command remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents of the FCT. Members of the public are urged to support security efforts by providing timely information through the Command’s emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938,” she said.
