A Nigerian Army soldier shot and killed a 16-year-old protester, Ismail Mohammed, on Tuesday in the Samaru community of Zaria, Kaduna State. The shooting occurred during a disturbance involving protesters, according to Major General Onyeama Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations.
In a statement titled “Unfortunate Death of a Protester by a Soldier in Zaria,” Nwachukwu explained that the incident unfolded when troops were called to disperse a crowd in Samaru that was burning tires and attacking security personnel. The soldiers were responding to a distress call about hoodlums who had gathered and were acting violently.
Upon arrival, the troops were reportedly attacked by the mob, prompting a soldier to fire a warning shot in an attempt to disperse the crowd. This action resulted in the death of Mohammed. The soldier involved has been arrested and is under interrogation.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, expressed sorrow over the incident and dispatched a high-level delegation led by Maj Gen Lander Saraso to visit and offer condolences to Mohammed’s family. The deceased was buried according to Islamic rites with senior military officers present.
Earlier in the day, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun addressed claims of excessive force during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. He stated that no live ammunition was used by the police or military and described reports of such incidents as false. Egbetokun emphasized that the security agencies only used teargas and did not deploy water cannons or rubber bullets. He also reported injuries to officers but denied the use of excessive force during the protests.