By Augustine Ehikioya
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, has expressed sadness over the death of a boy mistakenly killed by a soldier in Zaria, Kaduna State.
While sending condolences to the family of the boy, the Army Chief has also ordered the arrest and interrogation of the soldier involved.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Director Army Public Relations, Major General, Onyema Nwachukwu, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA).
It reads “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 to scare the hoodlums away, which unfortunately led to the death of a 16 year old boy Ismail Mohammed.”
The soldier involved, the statement said, has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report.
It added “Saddened by the unfortunate incident, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja has sent a high-powered delegation led by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Major General 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.” it stated.
