The Nigerian Army has admitted one of its personnel killed a 16-year-old boy, Ismail Mohammed in Samaru, Zaria area of Kaduna State on Tuesday, August 6th.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Director, Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu on Tuesday night on posted on the army’s X handle.
Providing details of the incident, Major General Onyema said troops of the Nigerian Army, 6 August 2024, received a distress call that some hoodlums gathered in Samaru in large numbers, burning tires on the road and pelting stones on security personnel.
According to him, 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 statement reads.
“The soldier involved has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report.”
The statement added that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, saddened by the unfortunate incident, sent a high-powered delegation by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Maj Gen Lander Saraso to visit and condole with the family of the deceased.
It further said the deceased was buried according to islamic rites with senior military officers of the Nigerian Army in attendance.
Nigerians have, since August 1, embarked on the #Endbadgovernance protests across some states of the federation to demand an end to hunger, insecurity and extreme poverty amongst others in the country.
The protests have been largely characterized by violence with reports of several looting of shops and vandalisation of public utilities in parts of the North, forcing some state governments to declare curfews.
Although, President Bola Tinubu, in a nationwide address to the nation last Sunday, called on the protesters to suspend their actions and come to the dialogue table, some of the protesters, mostly youths continue taking to the streets as the protests enter day 7 of the 10-days protests.