#EndBadGovernance: Soldier kills protester in Zaria, Army arrests culprit

A 16-year-old boy, Ismail Mohammed, was killed by a soldier during a protest on Tuesday. The incident happened in Samaru, a popular town in Zaria, Kaduna State, the Nigerian Army has confirmed.

According to a statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, troops received a distress call about hoodlums gathering and burning tyres, prompting the troops to mobilise and disperse the crowd.

The situation escalated when the hoodlums attempted to attack the troops, forcing “a soldier to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away.”

But the warning shot claimed Ismail’s life.

The soldier involved has been arrested and is undergoing interrogation, Mr Nwachukwu, a major general, said.

The Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, according to Mr Nwachukwu, 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 in attendance.

The incident highlights the ongoing tension between security forces and #EndBadGovernance protesters in Nigeria, with observers raising concerns about the use of excessive force, especially by the police.

Unlike the police

Since the 10-day nationwide protests started last Thursday, only the military has claimed responsibility for gross misconduct.

This is unlike the police whose operatives killed at least two people in Niger State and denied it. Amnesty International

Casualties were also recorded in places like Kano and Jigawa, but the police are yet to address the matter, paving the way for President Tinubu to ignore the topic in his speech aimed at calming the protesters. The protesters are demanding a reduction in the cost of governance and a reversal of some policies, such as the removal of petrol subsidies.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Kaduna State Government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna and Zaria cities on Monday due to the violence unleashed by some protesters. Tuesday’s protest that led to Ismail’s death occurred despite the curfew.

Read the full statement by the army below

UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF A PROTESTER BY A SOLDIER IN ZARIA

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 soldier involved has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report.

READ ALSO: #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria: Army clarifies soldiers’ role in Kano looting spree

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.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU

Major General

Director Army Public Relations

6 August 2024