A 16-year-old protester, Ismail Mohammed, was fatally shot by a Nigerian Army soldier in the Samaru community of Zaria, Kaduna State, during a protest on Tuesday.
The incident occurred amid the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria demonstrations.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyeama Nwachukwu, confirmed the incident in a statement.
He detailed that the tragedy unfolded when troops responded to a distress call about a large group of protesters burning tyres and attacking security personnel in Samaru. Upon arrival, the troops attempted to disperse the crowd, during which a soldier fired a warning shot that inadvertently resulted in Mohammed’s death.
Nwachukwu noted that the soldier responsible for the shot has been arrested and is undergoing interrogation.
He also conveyed the Army’s condolences to the bereaved family, mentioning that senior military officers, including a delegation led by General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Maj Gen Lander Saraso, attended Mohammed’s burial.
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 tyres 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.”
Earlier that day, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stated that security forces did not use live ammunition in managing the protests.
He emphasized that the police, military, and other agencies involved in handling the protests exercised restraint, employing only teargas for crowd control.
