Nigerians react as Precious Owolabi, Channels TV reporter shot during Shiites clash with police, dies

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Precious Owolabi of Channels TV killed during Shiites clash on Monday, July 22, 2019

Precious Owolabi, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving with Channels Television in Abuja, has died after sustaining gunshot wounds during Monday’s violent clash between the police and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

Channels TV confirmed the 23-year-old reporter’s death in a news broadcast at 10pm on Monday. He was a graduate of University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

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Members of the group popularly called Shiites numbering about 3,000 were said to have stormed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to demand the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since December 2015.

Although at least six members of the group were reported killed, the police say it lost a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Usman Umar in the fracas. Umar was until his death the DCP in charge of Operations at the FCT Command of the Nigeria Police Force.

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The police further say 54 Shiites have been arrested and would be prosecuted for the incident.

Nigerians have however taken to Twitter to mourn Owolabi, calling for an end to hostilities between the police and the Shiites.

The presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 general election, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu condoled with the families of Owolabi and DCP Umar.

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