Soldier Shoots 16-Year-Old Protester Dead

A 16-year-old #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protester in the Samaru community in Zaria, Kaduna State was on Tuesday shot dead by a soldier with the Nigerian Army.

The teenage victim was identified as Ismail Mohammed.

The incident was comfirmed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyeama Nwachukwu, in a statement on Tuesday titled “Unfortunate death of a protester by a soldier in Zaria.”

Nwachukwu explained that the incident happened on Tuesday when troops of the Nigerian Army received a distress call to help disperse some hoodlums, who had gathered in Samaru burning tyres and attacking security personnel.

Nwachukwu added that the mob attempted to attack the troops, which led a soldier to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away, which led to Mohammed’s death.

According to the Army spokesman, the soldier involved has since been arrested and is undergoing interrogation.

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.”