Armed men suspected to be policemen, yesterday, shot into the air and disrupted the sitting of a mobile court trying violators of the COVID-19 safety protocols in Dei-Dei, Abuja.
The incident created chaos as residents close to the court and the magistrate, prosecutors and other officials scampered for safety.
City News learnt that personnel of the FCT Ministerial Joint Enforcement Task Team on COVID-19 Restrictions arrested a policeman, Agada Gabriel, for allegedly not wearing a facemask in public and overloading his vehicle, a Golf car, with passengers.
The suspect, who was arrested close to the court’s premises, was said to have called his colleague, one Smart Jacob, to help him to resist his arraignment.
The two were eventually charged and convicted for overloading and non-use of face masks but they refused to pay their fines or engage in community service as directed by the court.
News further learnt that the duo allegedly mobilised gunmen from the Mobile Police Barracks in Dei-Dei who invaded the court shooting sporadically.
“While the presiding magistrate, Theresa Otu, the prosecutor, Barr. Emmanuel T. Yatsegha and other court officials, including a Nigerian Correctional Service personnel scampered to safety, the policemen dismantled the court’s canopy and vowed that they would no longer allow any court sitting in the area,” a witness who preferred anonymity said.
City News also gathered that a female personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS, who was attached to the court, claimed she lost her mobile phone and handbag containing some valuables.
The chairman of the task team, Ikharo Attah, said he had been adequately briefed about the development and expressed confidence in the ability of the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma, to apprehend the erring personnel and mete out appropriate sanctions on them.
“I have been briefed about the unfortunate development. The Head, Legal Department of Abuja Environmental Protection Board AEPB, Barrister Cecilia Makoji, called to notify me of the ugly incident.
“While I cannot give you details, I can assure you that the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr Bala Ciroma, who is our overall chairman and supervises our activities, is on top of the matter.
“As a no-nonsense man that the CP is, I want to plead with you to be rest assured that the matter would be handled appropriately,” he said.
The FCT police command spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, when contacted on phone, said he was not aware of the incident so could not comment on it.
