Family demands justice as power-drunk vigilantes shoot Abuja orphans

The family of two brothers, Abdulmalik Abubakar and Ibrahim Abdullahi, have demanded justice after members of a vigilance group shot them in the Bobota/Dabi Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the brothers were sleeping in their room on Sunday, July 9 when members of the vigilance group invaded the premises and suddenly started shooting.

It was learnt that one of the bullets hit the two brothers in the leg and buttocks and in a bid to rescue them, the duo were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

In a video made available to our correspondent, one of the brothers, Abdulmalik, while writhing in pain on the hospital bed, said he was shot because he refused to give members of the vigilance group his phone.

Advertisement

He said, “Is it because of my phone that they want to shoot me? I will not give them my phone. It’s not yours, it’s mine.”

Speaking with our correspondent, the victims’ sister, Jemilah, while demanding justice, said the family members had no money to treat the victims.

She said, “My brothers were sleeping inside the room when those vigilantes came between 3pm to 4pm and we started hearing gunshots. They started shooting guns directly into their room and that was how the bullets hit two of my brothers.

“One got shot in the leg and the other in the lap and buttocks. We took them to the General Hospital Kwali but they didn’t accept them. So, we brought them to the Specialist Hospital Gwagwalada and till now they have not attended to us because of the money.

“We don’t have the N50,000 that they said we should drop before they take them to the operation room. We are orphans, we just want justice for our brothers.”

She explained that when the case was reported at the Kwali Police Division, one of the suspects was arrested

Contacted, one of the alleged culprits, identified simply as Abdulkareem, said he was part of the vigilance members but denied being part of the team that shot the victims.

“I don’t know who shot them. I am part of the vigilante, I don’t know. I am a hunter and a vigilante. It’s not me abeg,” he said.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Ameh, when contacted, said, “Let me ask the DPO; I’m not aware. I will need to call the DPO and call you back; if I don’t call you back, it means I don’t have the information.”