Follow Us on Google
Gunmen suspected to be policemen reportedly fired shots to disperse the FCT Mobile Court trying violators of the COVID-19 safety protocols in Dei-Dei, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday.
The incident, which happened at about noon, was said to have thrown residents into confusion. The magistrate, prosecutors and other officials scampered to safety.
Trouble reportedly started when personnel of the FCT Ministerial Joint Enforcement Task-team on COVID-19 restrictions arrested a policeman who gave his name as Agada Gabriel for not wearing a face mask in public and overloading his vehicle.
The culprit who was arrested around the premises of the court was said to have called on his colleague, a certain Smart Jacob to help him resist his arraignment.
However, the two were subsequently charged for overloading and non-use of face masks and sentenced accordingly. But they were said to have refused to pay their fines or engage in community service as directed by the court.
The two were said to have mobilised gunmen from the Mobile Police Barracks in Dei-Dei who stormed the court and shot sporadically.
While the Presiding Magistrate, Theresa Otu, Court Prosecutor, Emmanuel T. Yatsegha and other court officials including a Correctional Service Personnel scampered to safety, the policemen reportedly dismantled the court’s canopy and vowed that they would no longer allow any court sitting in the area.
When journalists got to the area, normalcy had been restored, but a female personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS attached to the court was seen lamenting the loss of her mobile phone and handbag containing valuables.
Chairman of the Task-team, Ikharo Attah, said he had been adequately briefed about the development and expressed confidence in the ability of the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma, to apprehend the erring personnel and mete out appropriate sanctions.
Attah had in April lamented the general lack of compliance to the safety protocols stating that most of the serial violators were uniformed personnel.
