- Chief Imam’s Son Shot Dead in Abuja Land Dispute
- The police presented a different account, but Community members differ
- Images obtained showed Attahiru’s lifeless body with a bullet wound to the chest
The Kuchibuyi community in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, is reeling after a tragic incident on Saturday where Attahiru Abubakar, son of the community’s Chief Imam, was allegedly shot and killed by police during a land-related dispute.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Attahiru died on the spot after being hit by a police bullet.
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His elder brother, Abass, was also shot and is currently receiving treatment in a hospital. Their father, Abubakar Yaqub, the Chief Imam of Kuchibuyi, was reportedly injured as well.
The police presented a different account. In a statement on Saturday, FCT Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said officers were deployed to quell a civil disturbance in the area and that arrests had been made as investigations continued.
“The FCT Police Command received a distress call regarding a civil unrest incident stemming from a land dispute at the Kuchibuyi community under Byazin Division,” the statement read.
According to Adeh, officers from the Byazin and Kubwa divisions responded swiftly to restore calm. She insisted the police were not the source of the dispute, describing it instead as a communal issue.
Commissioner of Police Ajao Adewale also condemned what he called an attack on police officers by youths in the area, warning that action would be taken against those obstructing law enforcement efforts.
But members of the community dispute the police version of events, claiming officers opened fire on residents without provocation. They also accused an estate developer of instigating the crisis in an attempt to seize local land.
Sanusi Abubakar, brother to the deceased, said their family was targeted after trying to resist the unlawful land grab.
“There’s an estate manager who has been trying to take over our land. He came with soldiers and vigilantes, then later involved the police. After some residents blocked the road, police and task force operatives returned and began shooting at people,” Sanusi alleged.
“My brother, Attahiru, was shot dead. Our elder brother, Abass, is in the hospital. Even our father, the Chief Imam, was injured in the shooting.”
A resident who witnessed the chaos and spoke on condition of anonymity supported Sanusi’s claims, saying the police statement left out critical facts.
“They didn’t mention that three people were shot , two brothers and their father. Attahiru was shot in the chest and died instantly. The officers also arrested several young men in the community. We’re scared they’ll try to cover it all up,” the resident said.
Images obtained showed Attahiru’s lifeless body with a bullet wound to the chest, and later, wrapped in a white shroud.
When asked why the initial statement failed to mention the fatality or the shootings, police spokesperson Josephine Adeh declined to comment further and referred back to her earlier release.
Attahiru incident adds to the growing number of cases involving alleged police brutality across Nigeria, raising fresh concerns about the conduct of security forces during civil disturbances.
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