Residents of the NITECO and Peter Sariki Roads in Tunga community of Minna, Niger State capital, at the weekend were
gripped with fear as an operative of the special combined team of the anti terrorist squad guarding the area shot a visiting pregnant woman in the neck.
Sunday Tribune investigation gathered that at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday evening, a woman identified as Safiya and her husband, Mohammed Kabir who is said to be an employee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Kaduna, were allegedly driving through the heavily manned road by the combined team of security personnel when they were ordered to stop.
It was gathered that the couple who were said to be in Minna for a visit were driving in an ash coloured Peugeot 406, and the husband was the one behind the steering when they were ordered to stop.
Mallam Kabir, it was gathered, was slowing down to stop when one of the men allegedly opened fire at the car and some of the bullets which had destroyed the front screen got to Safiya and hit her on the neck.
It was, however, gathered that immediately the bullet hit Safiya the husband started shouting for help in Hausa language that they had killed his wife, the shout it was gathered attracted the the people in the neighbourhood who came out en-mass to assist the victim .
Further checks revealed that when the residents came out and discovered that Safiya was still breathing, they quickly rushed her to two private hospitals where the doctors on duty allegedly rejected her from being admitted for treatment because it was a bullet wound.
It was further gathered that at that time, some top security officers arrived and escorted the injured woman to Minna General Hospital where she was given treatment and transferred to Abuja early morning on Saturday because of her critical condition and the discovery that she was pregnant.
It was also gathered that the Security man who was said to have opened the fire at the vehicle was immediately arrested and the rifle withdrawn by the other men on duty and handed over to the police as the residents rained abuses on the security men for their perceived over-zealousness.
Meanwhile, when contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State Police Command, Richard Oguche was not available to confirm the incident but a Senior Police officer who pleaded anonymity confirmed the incident to Sunday Tribune while saying that contrary to the belief that the woman died, she was receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Abuja but still in a critical condition.
It would be recalled that early last month, soldiers guarding Minna prison molested a teenage girl who spent several weeks in the hospital in coma and the military authority reacted that the girl would have been shot for walking over a security Barricade.
It could, however, be recalled that the state has been under serious security scrutiny since the violent anti fuel subsidy protests by some youths in parts of the state that led to the destruction of some public and private property in Minna, the state capital and its environs, estimated at hundred of millions of Naira.
NINE suspected terrorists, a military man and one State Service Security (SSS) man lost their lives during a gun battle in Okene on Saturday night.
It would be recalled that some days ago bomb factory was discovered in Kabba, Kogi State.
In the process the security agents vowed to arrest those behind the factory as they beamed searchlight on every nook and cranny of the state.
Following a tip-off they were able to locate the hideout of the terrorists late in the night on Saturday.
The suspected terrorists were alleged to be behind violent crimes in Kogi State in the recent time.
The suspects, who were said to be hiding in a building in Idoma area of Okene Local Government Area of the state, had a gun battle with the combined team of the SSS and the military before nine of them fell to the superior fire power of the security agents.
In the ensuing gun duel one soldier and an SSS man were killed by the terrorists while another two sustained serious injuries.
Speaking with newsmen, the Commander Army Records, Lokoja, General Alphosus Chuku, who led the operation, said they got a tip-off that the group was about to strike, so they acted swiftly.
He said his men were still on ground to make sure that the area was well secured.
He advised law abiding citizens of the area to go about their lawful duties without any fear of molestation.
Meanwhile, the governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada, has promised that his government will pay the medical expenses of the security agents injured in the shoot-out.
The governor who gave this indication when he paid a visit to the injured security men at the Federal Medical center lokoja said government will continue to work with the security agents to rid the state of criminals.
He called on the security agents not to be deterred in the onerous task of providing security for the citizenry.
As at the time of filling this report, security operatives have cordon off the area and are doing stop and search to fish out the criminals.
It would be recalled that some days ago bomb factory was discovered in Kabba in Kogi state were finished product were recovered.
Police authorities have commenced investigation into the mysteries surrounding the death of a foreigner whose identity was yet to be identified as at the time of this report.
The foreigner was found dead Friday night at the Commandos Hotel in Wuse II district of Abuja.
According to information made available to Sunday Tribune, the man was a regular guest at the hotel.
He was said to be hale and hearty before he checked into the hotel.
No staff of the hotel volunteered information regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.
However, police authorities confirmed that they had launched an investigation into the matter.
Spokesperson of FCT Police Command, Jimoh Moshood, assured that the investigation would reveal what caused the death of the foreigner.
He stated that some staff of the hotel had already been invited for questioning.
The death came as the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, said that all foreigners lodging in hotels in the country would be required to be documented with their international passports and other travel documents while reports of such documentation should be submitted to relevant security agencies.
IGP who stated this recently in Abuja during a meeting with the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Chief Segun Runsewe further added that hotel operators would be required to send the names of job seekers to the police for proper scrutiny, background check, character assessment and vetting.
He said, “Before employing any staff, the hotels will be required to send their names to the Police for background check, character assessment and vetting.
“We are ready to assist them. But if they go ahead and employ people who will cook food for guests and poison everybody, they will be on their own.”