#RevolutionNow convener, Sowore ‘shot’ during protest in Abuja

*’It’s is false and fake news’ – FCT Police Command

HUMAN rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, was this morning shot by a police officer in Abuja during a protest.

The convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, wrote on his verified twitter page: “Just been shot by a police officer ACP Atine at the Unity Fountain in Abuja.”

The post was accompanied by an image showing an injury to the lower part of his abdomen. A video circulating online further corroborated that the activist indeed sustained an injury, which is said to require immediate surgery.

A lawyer close to the Sahara Reporters‘ publisher, Inibehe Effiong, also reported in a short statement:

“Omoyele Sowore has just been shot by a female police officer at the Unity Fountain in Abuja. He is being taken to the hospital for treatment.

“The officer fired a tear gas canister directly at his right thigh. Sowore was specifically targeted.

“The criminal officer is said to be CSP Atine. I watched Sowore being shot live on Facebook.

“This is what Nigeria has been turned into under Buhari. They’ve declared war on the Civic Space.

“The FCT Police Commissioner has fenced the Unity Fountain with iron and cables to prevent protests. This is a criminal offence under the Anti-Torture Act of 2017,” Effiong wrote in a Facebook post.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has, however, denied the report, describing it as “false and fake news.”

The Command’s spokesman, ASP Mariam Yusuf, in a statement, said: “Contrary to the speculation, Police operatives professionally restored calm at the Unity Fountain following attempts by a group of protesters to incite public disturbance.

This claim is, however, contrary to the photo and video evidences shared by Sowore and others, which have since gone viral.

Continuing the Police spokeswoman, “The protesters who went on the rampage were resisted by Police Operatives in order to prevent them from causing a breakdown of law and order. There is no record of such incident as at the time of this release.”

Yusuf urged residents to remain law-abiding, saying the command was committed to protection of lives and property within the FCT.