Gunmen open fire, kill 7 policemen in Abuja

Seven police officers and some residents have been killed at Galadimawa Roundabout in Abuja on Monday night.

Witnesses said the police officers were on duty at the popular roundabout which is about five minutes drive from Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Road (Airport Road) when they were killed by some gunmen during a shootout. They said the shooting started at about 9pm and lasted for several minutes.

Though normalcy has been restored in the area, heavily armed police officers on stop and search duties have been deployed to the roundabout.

A resident, who pleaded anonymity, said the police officers had stopped the gunmen in an attempt to search their vehicles before they opened fire on the officers.

Residents said two residents were shot and several others injured during the gun battle.

The Lugbe Divisional Police Officer, CSP Tunde Kabiru confirmed the killing. He said the suspects are not cultists as some people feared but armed men.

He could not provide further details while the calls to FCT Police spokesperson, Manzah Anjuguri, went unanswered.