Buhari’s three-man delegation visit family of police officer killed during Shi’ite protest

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, sent a three-man  delegation to pay condolence visit on the family of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Usman Umar, who was killed when a street protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) turned violent.

The Shittes were protesting government’s detention of their leader, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since December 2015.

President Buhari had warned El-Zakzaky-led Shiite members that no amount of rallies and street dances to openly insult him and other leaders, threatening bloodshed will intimidate him.

He had also stressed that he will not ask the country’s judiciary to abandon due process and set a suspect free, insisting that his administration is determined to enforce the decision of the court clearly issued. 

The delegation included, Ambassador Abdullahi Lawal Kazuare, State Chief of Protocol to the President, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity and Seriki Abba, Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the President.

The delegation was received by Usman Belel, elder brother of the late Cop, who is also a commissioner of police. The widow of late Umar, Busrah was also on hand to receive the delegation.

Besides Umar, Precious Owolabi, a Corp member serving with Channels Television in Abuja was hit by stray bullet, which eventually led to his death.

Umar, until his death was in charge of Operations at the Federal Capital Territory Police Command. 

He was reportedly shot as he tried to pacify the protesters who went on rampage around the federal secretariat complex situated around the three arms zones.

The protesters also destroyed vehicles belonging to the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA).