The Nigerian Army has apprehended a soldier involved in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy, Ismail Mohammed, in Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the incident occurred on Tuesday while the soldier was attempting to control hoodlums who were wreaking havoc in the area.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.
Nwachukwu explained that the troops were alerted to a situation where a large group of hoodlums had gathered in the Samaru area, setting tyres ablaze and throwing stones at security personnel.
He mentioned that the troops quickly mobilised to the scene to disperse the crowd and enforce the state government’s curfew.
“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,” he said.
Nwachukwu conveyed that the Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, was deeply saddened by the tragic incident.
He added that the COAS dispatched a high-level delegation, headed by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Maj.-Gen. Lander Saraso, to visit and extend condolences to the bereaved family.
He also noted that the deceased was laid to rest in accordance with Islamic rites, with senior Nigerian army officers present at the burial.
