In a horrific incident that has left a community reeling, a 16-year-old boy, Isma’il Muhammad, was mercilessly shot dead by a trigger-happy soldier in his own home on Sarkin Pawa Street, Samaru Zaria. The senseless killing occurred around 9:00 am when the soldier, who was patrolling with his colleagues, opened fire on the gate of the house, killing Isma’il instantly.
Eyewitnesses described how Isma’il and his friends were playing peacefully in front of their house when they saw the soldiers approaching. As the boys ran into the house for safety, the soldier deliberately targeted the gate, shooting it with reckless abandon. Isma’il, who was standing by the gate, was struck by the bullet and died on the spot.
The soldiers’ brutality didn’t end there. They callously denied the family and neighbors the right to assemble for funeral prayers and burial, violating Islamic rites and further exacerbating the community’s grief.
This heinous incident has shaken the once-peaceful Samaru community, home to hundreds of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria staff and students. The soldiers’ invasion and destruction of the community’s serenity have sparked outrage and demands for justice.
The questions remain: What drove the soldier to commit such a heinous act? Will those responsible be held accountable? And what measures will be taken to prevent future atrocities?”
