The Nigerian Army has announced that the Soldier who killed a 16-year-old boy, Ismail Mohammed, while trying to enforce the curfew in Samaru, Zaria in Kaduna State yesterday (Tuesday) has been detained.
News About Nigeria gathered that the soldier mistakenly killed the teenager when he fired the bullet intending to scare hoodlums in the area who were not abiding by the curfew.
Speaking in a statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Nigerian Army explained that the troops had received a distress call that some hoodlums gathered in the Samaru area of Zaria in large numbers, burning tyres on the road and pelting stones at security personnel.
Nwachukwu further noted that the troops immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene to disperse the mob and enforce the curfew imposed by the state government.
However, upon getting there, the soldier fired the shot as a warning to scare the hoodlums away, but it unfortunately led to the death of Mohammed.
The statement partly reads, “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 of the time of this report.”
The statement also noted that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who was saddened by the unfortunate incident, had 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 is said to have been buried according to Islamic rites, with senior military officers of the Nigerian army in attendance.
