The Nigeria Police’s claim over non-use of ammunition on protesters took a new dimension yesterday, as the Nigerian Army confirmed that one of its men murdered a teenager in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Recall that the #EndBadGovernance protest, which started on a peaceful note, later degenerated into violence in different parts of the country.
Also, recall that the first reported incident of killing was in Suleja, Niger State, where at least 6 protesters were allegedly shot by security operatives trying to restore order. Next was in Kubwa, Abuja, where a teenager was reportedly gunned down by a policeman.
Similar killings were recorded in Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Katsina States, among others. However, despite multiple videos of extra-judicial killings, the Police denied each and all of them.
Amnesty International had condemned the use of lethal force against the protesters. In an issued statement, the human rights group said, “Our findings so far shows that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill while dealing with gatherings of people protesting hunger and deep poverty”.
President of Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Joe Ajaero, also warned the Police and other security forces to stop what he described as “massacre” of protesters.
Ajaero, who also questioned the professionalism of the Police High Command and its officers being superintended by I’m being inspector General of Police, (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun. The Labour leader said the Police officers should divert their energy towards marauding bandits wreaking havocs in the country and be brutal against them rather than innocent Nigerians demanding their rights.
However, the Police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, had said while there were some instances of killings during the protest, none was by the Police.
In a piece titled: ‘The Hunger March As Universal Mandate’, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, wrote: “Live bullets as State response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances; certainly an abuse, in situations of clearly peaceful protest. Hunger marches constitute a universal S.O.S, not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong indeed in a class of their own; never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters”.
Recall that at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Egbetokun once again denied the use of live bullets against protesters.
However, 24 hours later, the military authorities admitted that a solider opened fire on a protester who died in Zaria.
Army spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement, said, “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 in order to scare the hoodlums away, which unfortunately led to the death of a 16-yr-old boy Isma’il Mohammed. The soldier involved has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report”.
He further said, “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”.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called for a judicial Commission of Inquiry into the deaths of protesters by security forces.
