A mob in Gombe state beat a mobile police officer, identified as 38 year old Adamu Abba to death after he reportedly shot and killed a commercial tricycle rider over a minor accident.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred Tuesday morning at an area called Bello Sabon Kudi junction in Gombe metropolis.
One of the witnesses, who declined to be named, said Abba was hit on his motorbike by a commercial tricycle rider at Bello Sabon Kudi Junction while on his way to work.
He added that while the corporal was trying to ensure that the person that hit him and destroyed his motorcycle was brought to justice, other tricycle and motorcycle operators crowded the scene and tried to prevent the policeman from arresting their colleague.
As the arguments became intense and more crowd gathered around him, the Mobile Police Corporal in self defence shot and killed one Mallam Gana, who was at the fore front of those trying to prevail over him on the matter.
Sensing danger, the corporal fled to the Office of the Secretary of the Gombe Emirate Council for cover while he called his other superior colleagues and explained the matter to them.
However, before the arrival of the Police, the mob forced its way into the Secretary’s office and lynched the Mobile police personnel to death.
The Gombe Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Fwaje Attajiri, who confirmed the incident, however gave a different account of the incident.
“There was an accident quite all right, the keke rider hit the policeman with his tricycle and he fell down, as a result of that his gun became active”, Mr. Attajiri said.
“The mob now descended on him and as they were beating him, the gun was accidentally fired killing one person among the attackers”.
He described the incident as regrettable and condemned in entirety, the action of the mobbed policeman for shooting the deceased that led to his lynching.
Attajiri, who disclosed that the deceased police corporal’s rifle has been recovered and investigation launched into the incident, pointed out that “even with the shooting of the deceased, which was wrong, the police officer showed restraint while the dangerous angry mob was after him because, out of the 30 rounds of ammunition released to him, 29 were found intact”.
He appealed to the general public to always exercise caution and not to take the laws into their hands.
“We are all Nigerians, and we are brothers and sisters”, he said. “We must live in peace with one another”.
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