Sani Jimoh, father of Abdulsamad Jamiu, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member allegedly killed by soldiers in Dei-Dei, Abuja, has said the Nigerian Army admitted responsibility for his son’s death and described it as a mistake.
Jamiu was killed on April 25 at Shagari Estate after soldiers of the Guards Brigade Quick Response Force responded to what the Army earlier described as a distress call over an alleged robbery attack.
In an earlier statement, the Guards Brigade said troops came under fire from fleeing armed robbers and that Jamiu was caught in the crossfire during an exchange of gunfire.
The brigade’s spokesperson Odunola Olawuyi said the incident was tragic and that troops had moved in to secure the area and protect residents.
But speaking with TheCable on Monday during a visit to the family home, Jimoh rejected the Army’s version of events, insisting that his son was shot inside his room.
He said he and his wife were in Okene, Kogi State, for a burial when their daughter called them around 2 a.m. to report the incident.
According to him, soldiers later told him they were chasing a suspected thief when they entered the compound.
“They said that they were pursuing a thief, but they couldn’t see the thief, so they went through the back and saw that the barbed wire was altered, and they thought someone had jumped through it inside my compound,” he said.
Jimoh said he asked how the soldiers gained access to the main building.
“I asked how they gained entrance into the main house, and they said that it seemed the door was not locked,” he said.
He added that the soldiers said they tried to force open the door to Jamiu’s room while someone inside resisted.
“And when you gained access into the main house, they were trying to open the door, and somebody was there trying to block them from opening the door, and what happened now happened,” he said.
The grieving father said he questioned how the encounter led to his son’s death.
“They said that Oga calm down, and it was a mistake,” Jimoh stated.
He also said the Divisional Police Officer in Dei-Dei described the shooting as an unfortunate and careless mistake.
According to him, police asked the family to submit a written statement and an undertaking before the body was released.
Jamiu’s sister, Farida, also accused the soldiers of using force after the shooting.
“I pleaded with them that if I get down, they should not harm me,” she said.
She said she initially thought her brother had escaped until she discovered he had died.
“I thought they wanted to tell me that my brother escaped until I discovered that my brother was dead,” she said.
Farida further alleged that one of the soldiers warned her not to speak about the incident.
She also claimed vigilante members were later called to clean the scene.
The family had earlier said physical evidence showed Jamiu was shot through the closed door of his room and not during a crossfire.
They have demanded an independent investigation outside the Army’s chain of command, the identification and prosecution of those involved and a public apology from the military.
