* Trigger happy cop arrested, detained
For residents of Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State, the excitement associated with the hope of collecting palliatives fizzled out on Sunday after a 12-year-old boy, Sani Danlami and his grandmother simply called Nna were hit by stray bullets shot by a policeman deployed to maintain law and order at the Sale Mai Agogo distribution centre.
The victims were said to be from an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) centre from Inana village in Rijau council.
Trouble started when the crowd suddenly became un-orderly and started scrambling for the palliatives. Apparently to restore sanity and order, one of the policemen at the centre shot into the air to disperse the crowd, following which stray bullets hit the boy and his grandmother.
Chairman, palliatives distribution committee in charge of Rijau council, who is also the State Commissioner for Primary and Tertiary Health, Dr. Tukur Bello, confirmed the incident.
He said: “The skirmish was as a result of some miscreants, who came to the palliative collection units and carted away some of the items from the unit, which resulted in the Police shooting.
“In an effort by the police to control the mammoth crowd, they shot in the air and unfortunately, the stray bullet hit the little boy and the grandmother who are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).”
Reacting to the incident, Governor Mohammed Bago directed that the victims are given full medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Police officer, who shot the bullet has been arrested by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Rijau and taken into custody for investigation.
The boy is said to be recuperating in the hospital.