The Nigerian Army has compensated the family of 16-year-old Ismail Muhammad with N300,000 after he was fatally shot by soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state.
The shooting occurred on August 6, during a 24-hour curfew imposed by the state government due to looting and violence amid the #EndBadGovernance protest.
According to Abubakar Muhammad, the victim's brother, soldiers enforcing the curfew fired bullets that penetrated their home, resulting in Ismail's death.
"We showed them evidence that they shot our house door. We showed them where the bullets passed. We showed them everything," Abubakar stated. He further clarified that there were no protests in their vicinity and Ismail was not involved in any protests. "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," he added.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Major General M.L.D. Saraso, visited the family and handed over a bag containing N300,000 as compensation. "He 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," Abubakar recounted.
However, misinformation quickly spread, with some claiming the family received N70million. "This morning, someone called my father and told him that he heard that they gave him N70million," Abubakar noted, dismissing the rumours.
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