A 16-year-old #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protester was shot dead by a Nigerian soldier on Tuesday in Zaria, Kaduna State’s Samaru neighbourhood.
Ismail Mohammed, a young demonstrator, has been recognised. Major General Onyeama Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Tuesday titled “Unfortunate death of a protester by a soldier in Zaria.”
Nwachukwu revealed that the incident occurred on Tuesday, when troops from the Nigerian Army received a distress call to assist in dispersing some hoodlums who had gather in Samaru, burning tires, and attacking security personnel under the guise of protesting.
Nwachukwu claimed that the mob attempted to attack the military, prompting a soldier to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away, resulting in Mohammed’s death.
According to an Army spokeswoman, the soldier involved has been apprehended and is being interrogated.
The statement read, “On August 6, 2024, troops of the Nigerian Army received a distress call that some hoodlums gathered in Samaru in large numbers, burning tires on the road and pelting stones at security personnel. The troops immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene to disperse the mob and enforce the curfew imposed by the state government.
“On arrival at the scene, the hoodlums brazenly attempted attacking the troops, prompting a soldier to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away, which unfortunately led to the death of a 16-year-old boy, Ismail Mohammed. The soldier involved has since been arrested and is undergoing interrogation as of the time of this report.
“Saddened by the unfortunate incident, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has sent a high-powered delegation led by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Maj Gen Lander Saraso, to visit and condole with the family of the deceased.
“The deceased was buried according to Islamic rites with senior military officers of the Nigerian Army in attendance.”
The once peaceful protest against bad governance in the country took a deadly turn as hoodlums hijacked the demonstrations, turning it into an avenue to perpetuate crimes.
With many shops and government-owned properties looted and vandalised, several states in the north, including Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe, and Plateau State, imposed curfews to mitigate the violence.
