Nigerian Army Reportedly Compensates Family of 16-Year-Old Killed in Kaduna Protests with N300,000

The Nigerian Army has admitted responsibility for the fatal shooting of Ismail Mohammed, a 16-year-old boy, during the #EndBadGovernance protests in Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State. The army has compensated the bereaved family with N300,000.

The tragic incident, which occurred on Tuesday, saw Nigerian soldiers opening fire to disperse protesters in the Samaru community. The deadly crackdown led to the death of two civilians, including young Ismail Mohammed, sparking widespread panic and outrage.

Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers stormed the area, home to many Ahmadu Bello University students, and fired live rounds in an attempt to suppress the ongoing protests. A local resident described the scene as chaotic and tense, with bullets hitting and killing two residents in the market area of Samaru.

The Nigerian Army, in a statement released by Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, confirmed the incident. According to Nwachukwu, the troops were responding to a distress call about hoodlums burning tyres and pelting stones at security personnel. He stated that the soldiers fired a warning shot to deter the mob, which unfortunately led to the fatal shooting of the teenager.

X user Aliyu (@AliyuKwarbai) shared the news of the compensation on Wednesday, expressing shock at the sum provided for what he termed “life compensation.” A graphic video shared by X user Better Kaduna showed the lifeless body of one of the victims, highlighting the brutal nature of the crackdown.