Malam Mohammed, the father of Ismail Mohammed who was killed in Samaru, Zaria, has claimed that soldiers shot and killed his son after following him home.
The aggrieved father, in an interview with newsmen, said the soldiers who were scaring people away, followed his son to their house and shot him.
“My son, about 19 years old, was outside the house when the soldiers started shooting. He ran inside and locked the door, but the soldiers followed him and shot through the door. I was at Hayin Dogo when Abubakar called to tell me what happened. But it was after an hour that I was able to reach home after Ismail was killed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has vowed to investigate the death of the teenager, Isma’il Muhammad, following the allegation.
The General Officer Commanding, GOC, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj.-Gen. MLD Saraso, disclosed this when he visited the family of the deceased in Zaria on Tuesday.
The GOC later addressed youths in the area, saying that he was in Zaria to commiserate with the family and the community over the incident.
He assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted on the matter and invited any community member with substantive evidence to forward the same for necessary action.
Saraso said the incident was unfortunate, urging the community to live in peace and always abide by the law and order.
The deceased’s mother, Zainab Sani, said the shooting occurred around 9.00 a.m., at their residence at Sarkin Pawa Street, Samaru, Zaria, by a trigger-happy soldier on patrol alongside his colleagues.
She said the late Isma’il was playingcoming in their direction.
“With one of the soldiers pointing his gun at them, they ran into the house and shut the gate,” she said.
She alleged that the soldier, however, shot at the gate, thereby killing Isma’il, who stood by the gate to prevent the soldiers from gaining entrance.
Matthew Atungwu