Police in Abuja Warn Medical Personnel to Report Gunshot Victims

In the capital city of Nigeria, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has sounded the alarm, urging medical professionals to report anyone with gunshot wounds to the authorities. The warning comes following a fierce gun battle between police operatives and suspected hoodlums who had taken advantage of the ongoing hunger protest to commit crimes in the Lugbe area of the city.

According to a statement released by the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, on Friday, the police engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel, resulting in many of them escaping with gunshot injuries. The hoodlums, who had blocked the Lugbe end of the Shehu Musa Yaradua Expressway at about 10 pm on Thursday, August 1, 2024, embarked on massive extortion and assault of innocent citizens, prompting the police to intervene.

Under the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017, medical personnel in and around Abuja have been put on high alert to receive victims with gunshot wounds. The Act requires that such patients receive urgent attention to save their lives and be accorded necessary medical assistance.

The police have also warned residents against committing crimes under the guise of protest. "The Commissioner of Police hereby warns unscrupulous elements who may want to hide under the guise of protest to carry out heinous crimes such as armed robbery, shop breaking, rape, assault on innocent citizens and vandalization of public property to desist from such," Commissioner Bennett Igweh said in a statement.

The police boss praised residents for their continuous cooperation and assured them that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure that the current protests do not infringe on their fundamental rights or cause them losses or damage to their property.

As the situation unfolds in Abuja, residents are advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.