The Nigerian Army has compensated the family of a 16-year-old boy identified as Ismail Muhammad, shot and killed by soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state, on August 6.

The army reportedly compensated the family hours after killing the boy at his residence at Sarkin Pawa Street, Samaru, Zaria, during a 24-hour curfew imposed by the state government on the Kaduna and Zaria metropolis on August 5 due to looting and violence that marred the #EndBadGovernance protest in the state. 

Abubakar Muhammad, the brother of the late boy, told ICIR on Wednesday, that soldiers who killed him were enforcing the curfew when their bullets pierced through the door of his family house and killed his brother.

Mr Muhammad said when the General Officer Commanding (GOC)1 Division, M.L.D. Saraso, a Major General, visited the family, “We showed them evidence that they shot our house door. We showed them where the bullets passed. We showed them everything.”

“And this morning, I heard them spreading fake news that the boy was part of the protest. We have not had any protests here in Samaru,” he stated.

“He (Saraso) gave us something. He gave us a pack having ‘GOC Nigerian Army’ on it. He said most times when they go for a condolence visit, they bring gifts like water to share with people. But because shops were closed due to the curfew, he gave us a bag. 

“We checked the bag and saw that it contained N300,000. This morning, someone called my father and told him that he heard that they gave him N70 million,” he stated.

He lamented the loss of the boy despite none of them participating in the protest, saying he was in the house with the late boy when the bullet went through the door and killed his brother.

He said, “Samaru is one of the most peaceful areas, there was no protest in Samaru. Even on the day of the protest, we were doing our activities normally. 

“Yesterday, we were at home in the morning. We just heard that soldiers were around the market side, sending people to go back to their homes that they were enforcing the curfew. So we just came out to watch what was going on.

“Many people in our area were out to see what was going on along the market side. Soldiers were beating people and sending them back to their homes. Unfortunately, a soldier was approaching our area and we decided to return home.” 

“We just heard a gunshot straight to our door, twice. By the time we entered the room, one of my younger brothers was saying ‘They’ve shot Ismail.’ There was no way for us to meet him by the door side while the door was locked, maybe the soldier might fire another shot at the door. We waited for a while. 

“Our neighbours came to the door knocking and asking us to open the door because they heard a shout saying Ismail had been shot. By the time I saw him, he was dead,” Mr Muhammad stated.

According to Mr Muhammad, the deceased is one of six children of the parents who are in their 50s.