The Nigerian Army has reported that its troops mistakenly killed a teenager during the #EndBadGovernance protests in Samaru town, Zaria, Kaduna, on Tuesday.
Recall that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stated on Tuesday that the police, military, and other agencies involved in managing the protests denied using excessive force on protesters.
In a statement released shortly after the incident, army spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu said that 16-year-old Ismail Mohammed was killed by a soldier who had intended to fire a warning shot to disperse hoodlums.
The army stated that they received a distress call indicating that the protests in Samaru had escalated into violence, with groups of hoodlums burning tires on the road and throwing stones at security personnel.
According to Mr. Nwachukwu, troops were dispatched to restore order and enforce the curfew imposed earlier by Governor Uba Sani, but they faced fierce resistance.
He explained that the “hoodlums brazenly attempted to attack the troops, prompting a soldier to fire a warning shot to scare them away, which unfortunately resulted in the death of 16-year-old Ismail Mohammed.”
The soldier who fired the shot has been taken in for questioning, and a delegation of officers was sent to offer condolences to the bereaved family and attend Mr. Mohammed’s burial.
The deceased’s mother, Zainab Sani, recounted that the shooting occurred around 9:00 a.m. at their residence on Sarkin Pawa Street, Samaru.
She said that Isma’il was playing with his friends and brother in front of their house when they noticed soldiers approaching.
“With one of the soldiers pointing his gun at them, they ran into the house and shut the gate,” Ms. Sani said.
She alleged that the soldier then shot at the gate, killing Isma’il, who was standing by the gate to prevent the soldiers from entering.
She added that her son had just completed his final secondary school examinations in Zaria and was seeking admission to further his education when the incident occurred.
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