UPDATE: Alex Ogbu, the journalist covering Shiites march in Abuja has been shot and killed

A yet-to-be identified police officer has allegedly shot dead Alex Ogbu, activist and journalist while covering the Shiites march in Abuja.

WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the deceased identified as Alex before his demise was a journalist with Regent Africa Times, a magazine publication based in Abuja.

Alex was covering the Shiite protest at the Berger area of Wuse, Abuja, on Tuesday, January 21, when he was allegedly shot dead by police and two other persons sustained gunshot wounds during the protest.

@AbdulMahmud01 tweeted: “#Breaking Terrible news coming out of Abuja. Unconfirmed, but it is believed that activist-journalist, Alex Ogbu, covering the Shiites march at Berger Abuja, was shot and killed this morning by @policeng. I knew Alex. Sad news. Sad day!”

dejikolawole1: “Confirmed! Comrade Alex Ogbu was killed by the police yesterjday evening.”

In a statement released by the Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Anjuguri Manzal on Tuesday and made available to newsmen, the police confirmed that the protest recorded one casualty.

The statement read, “As a result of the unfortunate incident, one person who sustained an injury and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention has been certified dead by medical doctors on duty.

“Meanwhile, the FCT Commissioner of Police FCT, Bala Ciroma, has ordered a full-scale investigation into the unfortunate incident.”

According to reports, the FCT spokesperson did not reveal the identity of the victim when contacted by journalists but the identity of the victim was later discovered.

Colleagues, friends and relatives of the deceased have started seeking for justice.

They’ve accused the FCT police authorities of attempting to change the circumstances surrounding the death of the journalist by claiming that Ogbu hit his head on a stone while running during the protest and died in the process.