- By Halimah Olamide
Said to be a 16 year old boy, the Army Director of Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the late boy was among the mob that tried to attack troops who responded to a distress call over some hoodlums who had gathered in the Samaru area of the city burning tyres.
The Nigerian Army on Wednesday admitted that one of its men killed a teenage protester in Zaria, Kaduna state.
Said to be a 16 year old boy, the Army Director of Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the late boy was among the mob that tried to attack troops who responded to a distress call over some hoodlums who had gathered in the Samaru area of the city burning tyres.
“On 6 August 2024, troops of the Nigerian Army received a distress call that some hoodlums gathered in Samaru in large numbers, burning tires 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. 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 Army said
Nwachukwu confirmed also that the soldier who gunned down Mohammed has since been “arrested and undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report.”
A video of the lifeless body of the victim with some of the troops was shared on X by a user with the handle @taariq_aziz21
He stated further, “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.”
The admission is coming a day after the Army commended its men for their handling of the nationwide protests.