Nigerian Army has arrested a soldier for killing a 16-year-old boy, Ismail Mohammed, in Samaru, Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Army Public Relations Officer, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the unnamed soldier currently facing interrogation, killed the protester when he fired warning shots to disperse a gathering in the area.
He said troops of the Nigerian Army on August 6, 2024, received a distress call that “some hoodlums gathered in Samaru in large numbers, burning tyres on the road and pelting stones on security personnel.
“Troops immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene to disperse the mob and enforce the curfew imposed by the Kaduna 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.”
Nwachukwuthat “the soldier involved has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation as of the time of this report.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has sent a 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