Sallah clash: Injured fun seekers recount ordeals

Two out of the four fun seekers allegedly shot in a clash with the police at Ado Bayero shopping mall (Shoprite) in Kano last Sunday have recounted their ordeals, saying they were rushed to hospital by sympathizers in order to save their lives. One of the victims, Lawal Musa popularly known as Akawuwa, who spoke […]

Two out of the four fun seekers allegedly shot in a clash with the police at Ado Bayero shopping mall (Shoprite) in Kano last Sunday have recounted their ordeals, saying they were rushed to hospital by sympathizers in order to save their lives.

One of the victims, Lawal Musa popularly known as Akawuwa, who spoke to Kano Chronicle on his hospital bed at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), said four of them were admitted at the hospital.

He said, “Two of us were treated and discharged, another one was referred to Sir Sanusi hospital, while I am retained here (AKTH). I was shot in the chest, while one of the two discharged was shot in the wrist and the other at his elbow. The fourth victim sustained bullet wound in his right thigh.

“I was lucky that I was with my friend when the incident happened. He rushed me to hospital on a tricycle. Police did not take us to hospital. They only shot us and quickly deserted the scene.”

Another victim, Yusuf Adamu, who was referred to the emergency unit of Sir Muhammadu Sanusi Specialist Hospital from AKTH in the late hours of Sunday with bullet wound in his leg, said several people were injured during the incident.

Adamu, who spoke through his brother, Abubakar Khalil Abubakar, said they were walking around the main entrance of the Shoprite when suddenly they heard gunshots and people around scampered to save their lives.

“It was in the process of saving my life that one of the bullets hit my thigh and I instantly collapsed. I was screaming for help when three young men helped me to get out of the place.”

The Chief Zonal Medical Officer, Sir Muhammadu Sanusi Specialist Hospital, Dr Abdulkarim Sule confirmed to Kano Chronicle that Adamu was brought to the hospital by his biological father at 11:45 pm on Sunday but left without notifying the care givers attending to him.

“Records available on my desk show that the young man was brought into the hospital by his father at 11:45pm on Sunday with a wound suspected to be from a gunshot on his right thigh but after he was given emergency treatment, the doctor that attended to him also conducted a Packed Cell Volume (PCV) test to ascertain whether there was need for blood transfusion but the following day when the result came out he was nowhere to be found,” Dr Sule said.

A reliable source at the hospital who spoke to Kano Chronicle off record said Adamu reported that he was coming from Kano Zoological Garden where he had gone to catch fun for Eid-el-fitr celebration, however on reaching the Shoprite axis around 9:00pm he was entangled in a commotion between the police and some youths in which live bullets were fired and he was hit by a stray bullet.

Kano Chronicle had reported that three persons sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries from the clash between the police and the fun seekers.

The clash which continued till Monday evening, started on Sunday when the fun seekers most of whom were youths in their thousands were prevented by mobile police personnel from entering into the shopping mall to catch fun for the Sallah celebration.

Eye witness account indicated that the trouble started around 9:00 pm on the fateful Sunday when some of the fun seekers got angry and started hurling stones at the security operatives after they had been denied entry into the event centre.

Abdullahi Mohammed, an eye witness who spoke to our reporters, said, “Yesterday (Sunday) around 9:00pm some groups of youth came and stood by the gate of the shopping mall, the Mopol working at the mall probably felt uncomfortable with them and therefore decided to disperse them and the youths started hurling stones at the security operatives, in response the police opened fire and three of the fun seekers were hit.”

He said windshields of some of the vehicles parked within the premises of the shopping mall were damaged by the angry youths during the fracas.

Another eye witness, Malam Muhammad A. Muhammad further confirmed that three persons were shot Sunday evening in his presence. He however affirmed that no life was lost as a result of the injuries they sustained.

He said two of the victims were shot on their legs while the other was shot in his arm.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Magaji Musa Majia, in a press statement issued Monday evening, denied the alleged shooting by the police saying neither teargas nor gunfire was used by the police on guard duty at Shoprite during the commotion but only minimum force to disperse the angry youths.

He said, “The stampede occurred and the police acted professionally to safe guard life and property and never shoot anybody, policemen did not use any firearms or even teargas.

“But some irate youths outside started protesting thereby throwing stones and vandalising public and private properties. The police officers would not hold their arms and watch while law and order are being broken.

“Minimum force was used to disperse the protesting youths while children and properties were professionally safeguarded by the police and sister security agencies working at the place,” Majia said.

Meanwhile, the management of Solacebase online media organization, said it stood its story despite police denial, saying it has enough evidence to back up the story to any length.

Reacting to the police statement yesterday, the Managing Editor of the online newspaper, Abdullateef Abubakar Jos reaffirmed the position of the media outlet about the story.