Army Arrests Soldier Who Killed Teenager In Zaria

The Nigerian Army has disclosed that the soldier who shot dead the teenage Ismail Mohammed, while dispersing the youths who came out to participate in the end bad governance protests, has been arrested .In a statement issued by the director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said, “On 6th August 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 on security personnel. The troops immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene to disperse the mob and enforce the curfew imposed by the State Government”.

He further averred that 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.

Major General Nwachukwu disclosed that the soldier involved has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation.

“Saddened by the unfortunate incident, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) 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. Maj.-Gen. MLD Saraso, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna represented the COAS in the visit to the family house of the deceased,” he said.

Meanwhile, the father of the deceased, Malam Mohammed has alleged that soldiers followed his son home and shot him dead.

Malam Mohammed, in an interview said the soldiers who were scaring people away followed his son to their house and shot him.

According to him, “My son, about 19 years old was outside the house when the soldiers started shooting. He ran inside and locked the door but the soldiers followed him and shot through the door. I was at Hayin Dogo when Abubakar called to tell me what happened. But it was after an hour that I could be able to reach home after Ismail was killed.”

Also, the deceased’s mother, Zainab Sani, said the shooting occurred around 9am at their residence at Sarkin Pawa Street, Samaru, Zaria, by a trigger-happy soldier on patrol alongside his colleagues.

She said the late Isma’il was playing with his friends and brother in front of their house when they saw soldiers coming in their direction with one of the soldiers pointing his gun at them, they ran into the house and shut the gate.

She alleged that the soldier, however, shot at the gate, thereby killing Isma’il, who stood by the gate to prevent the soldiers from gaining entrance.

She added that his son had just written his final secondary school examination in Zaria and was seeking admission to further his education when the incident occurred. The deceased has already been buried according to Islamic rites.