Police in Sokoto say they have arrested and detained Sergeant Bello Garba who allegedly shot one person to death and injured three others on Friday in Sokoto.
The deceased was named as Aminu Abdulrahman, 25, while the injured are Junaidu Abba, Babangida Muhammad and Awaisu Alti.
Sokoto police spokesperson Muhammad Sadiq told reporters that the victims were taken to Specialist Hospital Sokoto for treatment.
It was gathered that the victims were sharing money donated by Governor Aminu Tambuwal during the Juma’at prayers to mark Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary at Sultan Bello Jumu’at mosque.
The police spokesperson said the sergeant of Counter Terrorism Unit Base 18 Gusau was attached to Government House Sokoto.
“The policeman unprofessionally fired without reasonable justification at that material time,” he said.
”The Sokoto State Police Command condemns in its entirety the unwarranted, uncivil and unprofessional conduct of a Police Sergeant on special duty in the state.
”Commissioner of Police. Mr Sani Kaoje had ordered the detention and trial of the erring officer and charged the state Criminal Investigation Department to speed up investigation and come up with objective findings.”
He added that the police commissioner also charged all officers to deploy professional acumen including psychological capacity to enhance the safety of the people and not to resort to using arms against the populace.
”The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal while magnanimously giving out gifts to the needy, a brief distribution which gave birth to an upsurge in would-be beneficiaries.
“However, in an unconventional effort to control the crowd after the departure of the governor the policeman fired the shot,” Sadiq said.
Friday prayer was attended by Tambuwal, Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar III and Indonesia’s ambassador to Nigeria Usra Harahap among others.
