A Nigerian police officer on Friday fired into a group of youths that had descended on government offices to demand Ramadan presents, killing two and injuring three more, a government spokesperson said on Monday.
The clash erupted on the second day of the annual Muslim month of prayer and fasting, outside the headquarters of the Zamfara state government in the north-western city of Gusau, state spokesperson Buhari Adamu said.
”The youths came to [the] government house to demand the annual Ramadan gifts from Governor Ahmed Sani, but were prevented by the policemen at the gate,” he said.
”The youths were angry and they manhandled one of the policemen, who opened fire on them, killing one on the spot and injuring four others. One of the injured later died in the hospital.”
Following the killings, a group of about 60 protesters threw stones and broken bottles at the police in protest. Adamu said Zamfara’s police chief, Commissioner Ibrahim Machi, has ordered an investigation.
During Ramadan, wealthy Nigerian Muslims traditionally offer gifts to less fortunate members of their community.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with 130-million people, is plagued by unrest.
Its police are notoriously trigger-happy. Last year, the force confirmed that its officers had shot dead more than 3 000 suspects, although rights groups believe that even this figure is a serious underestimate. — Sapa-AFP