Police boss defends killing women, children in Kano clash with Shi’ites
No fewer than 10 Shi’ites – including women and children – and one policeman have reportedly lost their lives as a result of the clash between the sect and police in Kano on Monday.
A spokesperson for the sect in Kano, Malam Ali Kakaki, on Monday, claimed that the sect only set out on a protest to demand the release of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky before they got confronted by the police.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, has however said the police couldn’t have avoided killing several of the sect’s members because of the violent approach that was employed during their protest.
Idris said his men were confronted by the “miscreants” who were armed to the teeth, and left the police with no choice but to disperse them with brutal force.
“I agree with what you said (that Nigerians should not be killed while quelling riot) but when you have Nigerians armed to the teeth, killing police officers, I don’t think it happens anywhere,” he said to State House correspondents shortly after attending the launch of the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Emblem and Appeal Fund at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“I think as Nigerians, we have to appreciate a dangerous situation, and be sympathetic with the police that are being killed by some of these miscreants,” he said.
He explained that the police, in discharging its duties, is in line to apply the use of excess force against law breakers and the Shi’ites crossed the line with their protest.
“Obviously from time to time, we have been experiencing upheavals from this set of people. As police officers, we have responsibility to ensure there is law and order and when you have people taking over the whole country, dominating streets and buildings, we have to come in to maintain sanity in those areas,” Idris said.
“As of early yesterday (Monday), we got information that they were trying to block Kano to Zaria road. They later assembled in large number and our officers were deployed in the place to ensure freedom of movement of ordinary Nigerians.
“They attacked our officers, killed one of our officers. One has sustained an arrow wound on his head and obviously in such a situation, police have the responsibility to ensure free movement of people on the road. And that was what our officers did.”
Idris urged Nigerians to cultivate a habit of respecting the rights of one another and desist from causing nuisance to to the public.
