Nigeria Content Online

Following the
public outcry that trailed the killing of two persons by a riot
policeman in Mpape, a suburb settlement of Abuja on Monday, the
Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has ordered a full scale
investigation into the incident.

He also directed
that a criminal suit be brought against the police officer that shot
the taxi driver and the lady passenger for parking in front of the bank.

Since after the
incident, soldiers have been drafted to watch over the bank. However,
NEXT’s visit to the area revealed that apart from the Zenith Bank,
other banks in the neighbourhood (AfriBank Plc,Oceanic Bank, Spring
Bank)that summarily closed for bussines after the incident, have all
resumed operations.

The Force public
relations officer, Olusola Amore, in a statement, described the
incident as “unfortunate”, and warned the public against taking the law
into their hands.

“It is regrettable
that miscreants, thugs, and other criminals used the incident to attack
the Zenith Bank in the area and set it ablaze,” Mr. Amore said.

He also said that
eight vehicles and one dispatch motorcycle were burnt down, and that
some arrests have been made in efforts to find the perpetrators.

The incident
started on Monday January 31, following the shooting of a taxi driver
and a lady passenger to death by a policeman attached to the bank.

The incident, which
almost got out of hand, also consumed nine cars belonging to the bank
and its members of staff, while the ATM machine was looted and set on
fire.

The victims were rushed to an undisclosed hospital, but later died, which triggered the riot and attack on the bank.

According to the Federal Capital Territory commissioner of police,
John Haruna, “the policeman at the centre of the crisis has been taken
into custody,” stressing that there were certain conditions that must
be met before firearms could be used, but these conditions were not
satisfied before the policeman fired his weapon.”