Abuja killings: SSS quizzes victims on hospital beds

Men of the State Security Services, on
Friday evening, stormed the Emergency
Department of Asokoro General Hospital
in Abuja and quizzed the victims of the
bloody attack on an uncompleted
building at the Apo Legislative Quarters
that left eight people dead.
Although the SSS claimed that those
killed were members of the dreaded
Boko Haram sect, eyewitnesses and
survivors had denied the allegation.
Survivors alleged that the attack was
masterminded by the owner of the
building that was raided, who they said
had strong connections in government,
adding that it was done to force them
out of the premises.
But our correspondent who visited the
Hospital last night was informed that
some SSS operatives came on Friday
evening “wielding weapons in search of
Boko Haram suspects.”
A source in the hospital who spoke on
the condition of anonymity said the SSS
operatives arrived by 6:30 pm.
He said, “I saw the SSS operatives at
about 6:30 pm in the evening. They
went straight to the Accident and
Emergency Department to obtain
statements from the people who were
suspected to be Boko Haram members.
They came on a vehicle, about six of
them and went straight to the hospital.”
One of the victims also told SUNDAY
PUNCH that the operatives came with
camera and took the photograph of the
ten victims who are currently receiving
treatment in the Hospital.
“The SSS officials came with guns, other
dangerous weapons, took our
photographs, our names and other
important details. Their faces were
unfriendly and they neither laughed nor
smiled,” he stated.
Several calls and text messages to the
Chief Medical Director of Asokoro
Hospital, Dr. Ahmadu Abubakar, for his
reaction were not replied.
The victims of the attack, who are
currently receiving treatment in the
hospital, are Ibrahim Mohammed
(Zamfara State 32); Ibrahim Lawal
(Zamfara, 25); Shamshudeen Abubakar
(Zamfara, 20); Sani Abdulrahman
(Katsina, 17); Yusuf Abubakar
(Zamfara, 20) and Yahaya Bello
(Katsina, 20)
Others are Abubakar Auwal (Kano, 18);
Muritala Abubakar (Zamfara, 20);
Ibrahim Bala (Kano, 18) and Nuhu
Ibrahim (Zamfara State 20).
The SSS Deputy Director (Public
Relations),  Marilyn Ogar, had on Friday
claimed that the victims were gunmen
who engaged the SSS operatives in a
gun battle.
According to her, the security operatives
were attacked by the sympathisers of
the sect when they went to a building on
Soji Aderemi Close, off Bamanga Tukur
Street, Apo Quarters, to exhume
weapons buried in an uncompleted
building by people suspected to be
members of the Islamic sect.
She further stated that the attack was
sequel to information obtained from two
Boko Haram elements, Kamal Abdullahi
and Mohammed Adamu, who had
earlier been arrested for terrorist
activities. She added that the suspects
led the security team to two
uncompleted buildings where arms were
purportedly buried.
Ogar declined further comments on
Friday.
“I am busy now and I’m at a public
place; I can’t speak on anything, if I
have any new information, I will speak
on it,” she said.
Some SSS operatives in six vehicles had
stormed two uncompleted buildings at
Soji Aderemi Close, Apo, where they
shot dead eight persons, injured 10 and
arrested 12 others whom they described
as Boko Haram sect members.
Meanwhile, former Vice-President Atiku
Abubakar has said that only an
independent investigation by Nigeria’s
parliament, the judiciary or civil society
will unravel the facts behind the killings.
In a statement by his media office on
Saturday, Atiku said, “For me, this issue
borders on human rights, the rule of law
and the sanctity of human life. Our
security services should stick to their
role under the constitution: make the
country safe.”

One of the victims at the hospital