The father of the late Ismail Mohammed, who was killed in Samaru, Zaria on Tuesday, has accused soldiers of being responsible for his son’s death.
In an interview, Malam Mohammed claimed that soldiers, who were reportedly intimidating people, followed his son to their home and shot him. He recounted that his son, approximately 19 years old, was outside when the soldiers began firing. Ismail ran inside and locked the door, but the soldiers pursued him and shot through the door. Mohammed said he was at Hayin Dogo when he received the call about the incident and could only return home after an hour, by which time Ismail had already been killed.
In response, the Nigerian Army has pledged to investigate the death of the 18-year-old Ismail Mohammed, who was reportedly shot by a soldier on patrol in Samaru, Zaria. Maj.-Gen. MLD Saraso, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, announced the investigation during a visit to the deceased’s family in Zaria on Tuesday. He also addressed local youths, expressing condolences to the family and the community and assuring them that a thorough investigation would be conducted. He invited anyone with credible evidence related to the incident to come forward.
The GOC described the incident as unfortunate and urged the community to maintain peace and adhere to the law.
Ismail’s mother, Zainab Sani, reported that the shooting took place around 9:00 a.m. at their home on Sarkin Pawa Street, Samaru, Zaria. She described the shooter as a soldier who was on patrol with his colleagues and referred to him as “trigger-happy.” She also noted that her son had recently completed his final secondary school exams and was preparing to further his education when the tragedy occurred.