The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has arrested seven suspects following a violent clash at the headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Abuja.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, dismissing as “false and misleading” videos circulating on social media alleging that police personnel shot NURTW members.
Adeh said the videos were aimed at arousing public sentiment and misinforming residents.
According to her, the command received a distress call at about 7:00 a.m. reporting that about 300 individuals had stormed the NURTW headquarters in Garki, armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows and arrows, and were removing items from the premises.
She said the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Mr Isyaku Sharu, promptly led a team to the scene.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were attempting to enforce a court order without the presence of court sheriffs or authorised officials,” Adeh said.
She added that the situation escalated into a confrontation when other NURTW members resisted the action.
Adeh said one union member sustained a severe machete injury to the neck during the clash, while others suffered varying degrees of injuries.
She said the injured victims were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
According to her, the seven suspects have been charged to court, while normalcy has been restored in the area.
The police spokesperson reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents in the FCT.
