Police shoot sales girl dead, injure 3 others

A 20-year old sales girl identified simply as Lucy, was on Friday was shot dead by policemen in the Apo area of Abuja. The girl was hit in the chest by bullets fired into a photography shop where she worked as a sales girl. Three other people sustained gunshot injuries when policemen from the FCT Police Command fired bullets indiscriminately in an attempt to enforce the demolition order of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.

The policemen had stormed the area around 7 am with officials of Development Control Department, who had come to demolish illegal structures. But residents and indigenes, who felt that the government had no right to demolish their houses when they were yet to be resettled, resisted the operation.

They claimed that the case was still in court and that their leaders had advised them to continue to live in the area pending the determination of the suit. As the policemen shot indiscriminately to control the residents, bullets penetrated into one of the shops and Lucy was hit in the chest. She was rushed to Garki Hospital, but she was confirmed dead on arrival. Her body has been deposited in the mortuary. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, met the House of Representatives representing

AMAC/Bwari constituency of the FCT, Zephaniah Jisalo, at the hospital when he visited. Inalegwu, who was in tears, assured the lawmaker that the case would be investigated. “We are not sure what took our men there or what led to the shooting, it’s still a matter for investigation,” he said. Emeka Ani, owner of the photo shop, where the deceased worked, said that his sales boy also sustained gunshot injuries during the incident. He said, “From morning, the police surrounded our area. They said they came for demolition. All of a sudden, they started shooting sporadically. They shot into my shop and killed my sales girl. My boy also sustained injuries. Lucy has been with me for about one month. Her sister brought her for me from Cross River.” The National Coordinator, Greater Gbyagi Initiative, Mr. Gimba Baiza, described the incident as wicked.