Police Urge Medical Workers to Report Gunshot Patients in FCT During #EndBadGovernance Protests

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has urged medical personnel to report anyone presenting with gunshot wounds to the police.

This request comes after the police engaged in a gunfight with hoodlums, some of whom escaped with gunshot injuries. The hoodlums allegedly took advantage of a hunger protest to extort and assault innocent citizens along the Lugbe area of the FCT.

According to a statement released on Friday by the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, residents alerted the police about the situation. Adeh explained that the hoodlums blocked the Lugbe section of the Shehu Musa Yaradua Expressway around 10 pm on August 1, 2024, using the ongoing protests as cover to carry out robberies and assaults. The police responded, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.

The FCT Command has advised medical personnel in and around the Federal Capital Territory to be vigilant for victims with gunshot wounds, as per the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017. The Act mandates that such patients receive immediate medical attention, and that the police division or formation within the hospital’s jurisdiction be notified to investigate these individuals’ involvement in the security situation.

FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, cautioned against using protests as a cover for criminal activities, such as armed robbery, vandalism, or assault. He assured residents that measures are in place to ensure that protests do not violate their fundamental rights or result in property damage.