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Protest: Soldiers Enforcing Curfew Allegedly Kill Young Boy in Kaduna |
Soldiers of the Nigerian Army have reportedly killed a young boy while enforcing the 24-hour curfew in the Zaria area of Kaduna State.
Nigerian youths began a 10-day nationwide protest against economic hardship on August 1. However, the protest has turned violent, with incidents of looting and vandalism of public and private properties by hoodlums.
In a trending video on social media on Tuesday, a boy identified as Ismail was seen lying on the ground. A military patrol vehicle and some personnel were present at the scene.
In the video, residents could be heard wailing, saying, "It is not Usman, it is Ismail." One resident cried out, "They have killed him; they have killed him."
A boy wearing a blood-stained T-shirt was seen pacing around the military patrol vehicle where the boy's body was kept. Another man in the video was seen jumping and confronting some military officers.
When contacted, Onyema Nwachukwu, the army spokesperson, told TheCable that he had not yet received any report on the incident. "I’ve not received any brief on the alleged incident. I will get back to you as soon as I do," Nwachukwu said.
On Monday, the Kaduna government imposed a 24-hour curfew in the state capital and Zaria metropolis following reports of violence and the alleged hijacking of the protest by suspected hoodlums. According to the Kaduna police command, the hoodlums vandalized a bank building and destroyed vehicles parked within the premises of the financial institution.
