Alleged Blasphemy: We Met Vigilante Killed By Abuja Residents Alive – Police

Federal Capital Territory, FCT Command of the Nigeria Police Force has said that its men responded quickly to distress call of group of Abuja residents mobbed a local vigilante member, Ahmad Usman over alleged blasphemous statement against Allah.

According to the Police, they met the victim alive and was rushed to the hospital before he was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty.

The Police revealed this in an interview with Punch Newspaper after the victim was stoned and burnt alive on Saturday in the Lugbe area of Abuja.

The Punch Newspaper report reads:

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said that the command has commenced investigation into the killing of the vigilante said to be a 30-year-old man.

She said, “Normalcy has since been restored to the area concerning the situation while monitoring, and surveillance of the area continues.

“Residents are, however, urged to go about their lawful duties without fear or apprehension of any kind from any quarters as discrete investigation continues to unravel facts surrounding the ugly incident and to effect the arrest of the perpetrators therein.

“We understand that one Ahmad Usman a 30years old member of the local vigilante around Tippa garage at Federal Housing Estate in Lugbe Area of the Federal Capital Territory got into an argument with a Cleric (Mallam) whose name is yet unknown from the same area.

“The heated argument degenerated into an outbreak of violence that led to the murder and setting ablaze of Ahmad Usman by the enraged mob mobilized by the clergy numbering about two hundred”.

The police also stated that its officers intervened and that they were able to stop the violence from escalating.

“Upon the receipt of this information, a quick intervention team comprising of The Surveillance and Ambush team of the Command attached to the Lugbe Divisional Police Headquarters was drafted to the scene where the enflamed victim was rescued suffering severe degrees of burn and taken immediately to the hospital where he was confirmed dead by a Doctor on call.

The Commissioner of Police, Babaji Sunday, who also spoke to Punch Newspaper correspondent, warned against the indiscriminate resort to jungle justice.

He said, “We’re outrightly against jungle justice. The law is against, and adequate sanctions will be meted on subscribers of this crude and dastardly act.”