A member of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) task force was shot dead on Friday during a confrontation over a vehicle seizure operation involving unidentified security personnel in Abuja. The incident, which caused tension in the Wuse 2 district, occurred around Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent.
The Guardian gathered that the victim died on the spot after being shot during the altercation. Eyewitnesses said the deceased operative was among task force officials attempting to impound a vehicle when an argument broke out with occupants of the car. During the altercation, a security operative allegedly fired warning shots before shooting one of the task force members at close range.
A witness told The Guardian that the dispute began after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, with the driver insisting that an object placed under the car be removed so he could move. According to the source, “There were three of them at the traffic light where the car stopped. The officer kept saying, ‘Remove the object you placed under my car. My tyre is stuck.’ But they ignored him. “When the traffic light changed, everyone moved on, but the man could not move because they prevented him. He again told them, ‘Remove the object from my car and let me go.’ But they insisted that he must either provide his papers or pay. “The officer then fired a warning shot into the air to scare them, but they continued shouting, saying they were not afraid and that he was lying. The security personnel then stepped back and shot one of them directly in the forehead. He fell down and died instantly. “The next thing I saw was that all of them started running away. But this young man lost his life for nothing. If they had listened when the officer asked them to remove the object from the car, he would still be alive. “The man in the car was moving in a convoy with some security personnel and foreign nationals. A foreigner was inside the vehicle when the task force operative stopped it.”
Residents and passersby who gathered at the scene expressed concern over the growing tension caused by enforcement activities in parts of the capital. The exact circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear, and authorities had not issued an official statement as of the time of filing this report.
