The Nigerian Army has announced the arrest of the soldier responsible for the death of a teenage protester in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. on Tuesday when a soldier on patrol in Samaru shot and killed Isma’il Muhammad, a recent secondary school leaver, at his home on Sarkin Pawa Street.
Samaru is home to hundreds of staff and students from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
According to reports, Muhammad was playing outside with his friends and a brother when they saw soldiers approaching. Zainab Sani, Muhammad’s mother, recounted that the boys ran inside their house and closed the gate as one of the soldiers aimed his weapon at them.
Major General M.L.D. Saraso, the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, visited the deceased’s family to offer his condolences. After meeting with the bereaved, he addressed local youth, expressing his sorrow over the tragedy and assuring them that a thorough investigation would be conducted. He urged any community member with relevant evidence to come forward.
General Saraso called the incident “unfortunate” and emphasized the need for the community to maintain peace and uphold the law.
In a statement on Wednesday, Army Spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu explained that soldiers were enforcing a 24-hour curfew in Kaduna and Zaria due to violence stemming from the #EndBadGovernance protests. He added that soldiers faced attacks from hoodlums while implementing the curfew.
Nwachukwu indicated that as the soldiers were attacked with stones and burning tires, one soldier fired a warning shot to disperse the crowd, which tragically resulted in the death of 16-year-old Ismail Mohammed.
“On August 6, 2024, troops received a distress call regarding a large gathering of hoodlums in Samaru, who were burning tires and throwing stones at security personnel. Upon arrival, the troops were directly confronted by the mob, prompting a soldier to fire a warning shot to deter them, which unfortunately led to the death of Ismail Mohammed.”
The soldier involved has been arrested and is currently undergoing interrogation.
The statement further revealed that Chief of Army Staff Toareed Lagbaja has dispatched a high-level delegation to visit and offer condolences to the family of the deceased.
