Wuse Market Fire: Mob Responsible For Inferno, Normalcy Restored – Police

Wuse Market Fire: Mob Responsible For Inferno, Normalcy Restored – Police

The police have confirmed that a section of the Wuse market in the Central Area of Abuja that was gutted by fire on Tuesday was caused by a mob expressing their displeasure at the shooting of a man.

The inferno left some vehicles in the car park destroyed as firefighters battled to put out the fire.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, a suspect arrested by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) was shot by a correctional officer after attempting to escape.

”Preliminary investigation revealed that one Ibrahim Yahaya ‘27 years’ was apprehended by operatives of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) Task Force and was taken before a mobile court which sits every Tuesday in Wuse Market, and he was convicted.”

”Suspect alongside others were being conveyed to the prison, when he reportedly jumped from the vehicle and took to his heels in an attempt to escape. Two armed corrections personnel who were in the vehicle went after him and in the process, shot him.’

The development led some irate mobs who witnessed the situation to set ablaze eight (8) vehicles and ten (10) shops in the environ,” the statement read.

The suspect Yahaya was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors on the ground confirmed him dead.

SP Adeh revealed that the correctional officer responsible for the shooting of Yahaya was in police custody and would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

”The FCT Police Command has arrested the Correctional officer by name CA2 Usman Ishaya Magaji ‘M’ the officer who shot the victim one Ibrahim Yahaya OF Gishiri Village MabuchiI. Suspect presently in police custody as Investigation is ongoing .”

The whole fire situation caused an uproar among residents but was brought under control by the combined effort of the Federal fire service and other security agencies present.

He also noted that normalcy had been brought to the area as investigations were ongoing

While normalcy has since been restored, and the investigation is still ongoing, the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth Igweh psc, mni, encourages residents to peacefully go about their lawful businesses without fear.