The Nigerian Army has arrested a soldier for allegedly killing a 16-year-old boy, Ismail Mohammed, while attempting to stop hoodlums who were causing mayhem in Samaru, Zaria in Kaduna State.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Nwachukwu said the troops received a distress call that some hoodlums gathered in Samaru area of Zaria in large numbers, burning tyres on the road, and pelting stones on security personnel.
He said the soldiers immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene to disperse the mob and enforce the curfew imposed by the Kaduna State Government. The army spokesman stated: “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 undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report.” Nwachukwu said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, was saddened by the incident. He said the army chief had 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.
According to him, the deceased was buried according to Islamic rites with senior military officers of the Nigerian Army in attendance. The boy’s mother, Zainab Sani, had said the shooting occurred at their residence by a trigger-happy soldier on patrol alongside his colleagues on Tuesday, August 6. Sani said her son was playing with his friends and brother in front of their house when they saw soldiers coming in their direction at about 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
“With one of the soldiers pointing his gun at them, they ran into the house and shut the gate,” she said. She alleged that the soldier, however, shot at the gate, thereby killing her son, who stood by the gate to prevent the soldiers from gaining entrance.
Sani added that Mohammed had just written his final secondary school examination in Zaria and was seeking admission to further his education when the incident occurred.
