Tensions escalated in the Julius Berger area of Abuja on Sunday following a violent clash between members of the El Zakzaky movement, also known as Shiites, and officers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, leaving six people, including policemen, killed.
Police said they have lost two officers to the clash, while several others sustained gunshot injuries.
Persecondnews reports that trouble started when members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), a Shiite group, allegedly attacked a police checkpoint at Wuse Junction.
The attackers were armed with machetes, knives, and improvised explosive devices, described as locally made bombs in bottles filled with kerosene.
The clash resulted in the destruction of police patrol vehicles, three of which were set ablaze.
In retaliation, police engaged the group in a gun battle to regain control of the area.
To avoid the violence and potential damage to their vehicles, motorists had to detour.
In a statement, DSP Josephine Adeh, the spokesman for the FCT Police Command, confirmed the incident, revealing that the attack claimed the lives of two policemen while three others have been hospitalized.
She also said three patrol vehicles were destroyed.
“The proscribed group attacked the police checkpoint unprovoked. Several arrests have been made, and Benneth Igweh, the Commissioner of Police, has condemned the attack, vowing to bring those responsible to justice.
“The situation is currently under control, and normalcy has been restored to the area,” Adeh said.
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