Apo shooting: Lawyer offers victims free legal services

A legal practitioner, Mr. Sunusi Musa, has faulted the claim by the State Security Services which linked the killing of about eight residents of an uncompleted building in Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, with the Islamic violent sect, Boko Haram Islamic.

Musa said that his law firm would go to court and offer free legal services (pro bono) on behalf of the victims and seek redress for the “unprovoked attack.”

The victims of the attack who are currently receiving treatment in the hospital are, Ibrahim Mohammed (Zamfara State, 32); Ibrahim Lawal (Zamfara State, 25); Shamshudeen Abubakar (Zamfara State, 20); Sani Abdulrahman (Katsina State 17); Yusuf Abubakar (Zamfara State, 20) and Yahaya Bello (Katsina State, 20)

Others are Abubakar Auwal (Kano State, 18); Muritala Abubakar (Zamfara State, 20); Ibrahim Bala (Kano State, 18) and Nuhu Ibrahim (Zamfara State, 20).

Musa told The PUNCH that the victims were “innocent and harmless Nigerians trying to eke out a living from transportation business of Keke NAPEP.”

Although the SSS had claimed that those killed were members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, eyewitnesses and survivors had said otherwise.

The SSS Deputy Director (Public Relations), Marilyn Ogar, had said that the victims were gunmen who engaged the SSS operatives in a gun battle.

Musa said, “The security agencies need to come up with more plausible reasons to convince Nigerians with their claim of what happened there. We must put an end to these incessant official murders and not allow people to get away with them. Insha Allah we will be heading to the law court to demand for justice on behalf of the families of those killed and those who were injured.

“We are going to court on behalf of those who were killed and those who sustained gunshot injuries and are now receiving treatment in hospital. All those who will allow us to pursue their case and get redress for them, we are going to do it pro bono (free).

“From my terrible experience with the police it is the fact that the Nigerian military and the Nigeria Police have become synonymous with extra judicial killings.

“I was once arrested and detained by the police on frivolous allegations, thinking that they will extort money from me. But when I insisted I must be charged to court for the alleged crime, they refused.”

Source: Punch