The family of two brothers, Abdulmalik Abubakar and Ibrahim Abdullahi, is seeking justice after being shot by members of a vigilance group in the Bobota/Dabi Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to information gathered by Chronicles Reporters, the vigilantes group who shot them had previously been convicted in Nasarawa State and publicly paraded online for involvement in ballot box theft and electoral violence.
The incident occurred when the brothers were asleep in their room on Sunday, July 9, and the vigilance group members invaded the premises, opening fire indiscriminately. As a result, both brothers sustained gunshot wounds to their legs and buttocks. They were immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
In a video obtained by our correspondent, Abdulmalik, while in pain on the hospital bed, stated that he was shot because he refused to surrender his phone to the vigilance group members. He expressed his refusal, questioning why they would shoot him over a phone that rightfully belonged to him.
Jemilah, the sister of the victims, called for justice and highlighted the financial constraints faced by the family in providing proper treatment for the injured brothers. She revealed that the General Hospital Kwali initially rejected the victims, leading them to seek treatment at the Specialist Hospital Gwagwalada. However, due to the required fee of N50,000 for the operation room, the family was unable to proceed with the necessary medical procedures. As orphans, they are pleading for justice to be served on behalf of their brothers.
Following the incident, one of the suspects was arrested after the case was reported to the Kwali Police Division.
When contacted, Abdulkareem, one of the alleged culprits, admitted to being a member of the vigilante group but denied any involvement in the shooting. He claimed to be a hunter and vigilante but denied knowledge of the incident.
Josephine Ameh, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, stated that she would consult with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for information regarding the incident and promised to provide further updates.