The Nigeria Police yesterday vowed to pursue the perpetrators responsible for the killing of two police officers during an attack on a police checkpoint by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in the Wuse District of Abuja on Sunday.
Describing the murders as both outrageous and unacceptable, the police stated that those who committed the crime have also disrupted the peace.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, speaking from Abuja, revealed that 97 IMN followers have been detained.
Egbetokun further assured that measures are in place to ensure that the killers will face justice.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, strongly condemned the unprovoked attack by members of the proscribed IMN, often referred to as the Shi’ite group, on police officers in Abuja on August 25.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to uncovering the full extent of this attack and preventing future violence against its officers,” the statement read.
Adejobi detailed that the incident took place at Wuse Junction, where the attackers targeted a police checkpoint, assaulting the officers on duty.
Armed with machetes, improvised explosive devices, and knives, the assailants killed two officers instantly and left three others unconscious.
The injured officers are receiving medical treatment, and three police patrol vehicles were also set ablaze during the attack.
The police spokesman added that ongoing efforts by police operatives have resulted in the arrest of 97 suspects and the recovery of several weapons used in the attack, following IGP Egbetokun’s directive.
The IGP reiterated the force’s determination to apprehend all involved and bring the killers to justice, underscoring his commitment to maintaining law and order and opposing any form of anarchy across the country.
The IGP expressed condolences to the families of the deceased officers and wished the injured officers a speedy recovery.
Additionally, the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ben Igweh, stated that the police would pursue and prosecute the members of the Shi’ite movement responsible for the attack and killing of the officers.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS, Igweh refuted claims by the Shi’ite group that they were attacked by the police.
Igweh emphasized, “The Shi’ite movement has been proscribed. They have no legal right to assemble or hold processions.
As far as the law is concerned, they do not exist.
The attack was premeditated, as they gathered under the guise of going to pray at a mosque before launching their assault on security agencies.”
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expressed grave concern over the clash between the Shi’ites and the police, criticizing the confrontation.
While condemning the killing of the officers, HURIWA stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that those responsible for this crime are apprehended, prosecuted, and punished severely to prevent future occurrences.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA called for a thorough investigation into the incident, emphasizing that the actions of those involved in the attack on the police must be met with the full force of the law.
 in the Wuse District of Abuja on Sunday.){kind=link}