*Says Soldiers Admitted Killing Was A Mistake, Cleaned Up Blood Before Police Arrived, And Entered Compound By Scaling The Fence
The family of Abdulsamad Jamiu, a 24-year-old National Youth Service Corps member who was shot and killed by soldiers inside his room at his family residence in Dei-Dei, Shagari Quarters, Abuja, in the early hours of Saturday, April 25, has rejected the Nigerian Army’s claim that he died in crossfire during a security operation, presenting detailed evidence that he was shot through a locked door while asking “who is there?” and alleging that soldiers subsequently admitted the killing was a mistake, cleaned up bloodstains using materials from the family kitchen, and entered the compound by scaling the fence rather than through the gate.
The killing has triggered outrage, community protests, and demands for an independent investigation, as the family insists the Army’s account of a robbery-related crossfire is “false, misleading, and an affront to the memory of an innocent young man” who was one month away from his NYSC Passing-Out Parade and had been retained by his place of primary assignment.
An Army delegation led by Brigadier S.O. Buhari visited the family residence on Sunday, April 27, and according to the family, acknowledged “gaps” in the military’s earlier account, including that they were unaware the house was fenced and that the room where the shooting occurred was located downstairs, contradicting the original claim of a “stray bullet” in a crossfire.
The Headquarters Guards Brigade initially described the killing as an unfortunate incident during a legitimate security operation.
Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Olawuyi Odunola, stated that troops of the Guards Brigade Quick Response Group, on routine night patrol, responded to a distress call over an armed robbery incident in the area.
“Upon arrival, the troops came under gunfire from the fleeing armed robbers, resulting in a brief but intense exchange. In the course of the engagement, Mr Jamiu was caught in the crossfire,” Odunola stated, adding that despite efforts to secure the area and preserve lives, Jamiu “sadly succumbed to his injuries.”
The family’s version, supported by physical evidence at the scene and witness testimony, contradicts the Army’s narrative on virtually every material point.
How Soldiers Entered: The family stated that soldiers entered the compound by scaling the fence at the rear, destroying the barbed wire in the process, rather than through the main gate which remained untouched. Residents confirmed that damaged barbed wire remained visible at the rear fence, while the gate showed no signs of forced entry.
How The Shooting Occurred: The family stated that soldiers proceeded through the backyard exit door and went straight to Abdulsamad’s room on the ground floor. A small girl living in the home told the family she heard Abdulsamad asking “who is there? who is there?” before the soldiers responded with gunshots through his locked door.
“They shot him through the door. They shot the door two times,” the mother, Habiba Abubakar, stated. A bullet hole was visible on the wooden door, consistent with a shot fired from outside through a closed door.
No Crossfire: The family stated that no weapons were recovered from the scene, no armed adversary was identified or produced, and witnesses heard only a single gunshot throughout the night, the one fired inside the Jamiu residence. “There was no robbery incident in this area as has been claimed. There was no gunfire exchange that led to the death of my son, who was inside his room at the time,” the father, Engineer Sani Jimoh, stated.
The Bullet Trajectory: The family stated that the bullet trajectory showed the shot was fired from outside the room through a closed door, “not consistent with a firefight.” The victim was found with “a blown head” in a pool of blood on the floor of his locked room.
The Blood Cleanup: In one of the most disturbing allegations, the family stated that after the killing, soldiers instructed local vigilante members to clean up the bloodstains before police arrived at the scene. The mother alleged that soldiers directed vigilantes to fetch a bucket and detergent from her kitchen.
“They entered my kitchen, took Klin, from there, took bucket and gave the vigilante to mop the blood. What happened? Why would they do that?” the mother stated.
The alleged cleanup of the crime scene before police arrival raises serious questions about evidence tampering and obstruction of justice.
The Admission: The family alleged that soldiers admitted at the scene, in the presence of the Divisional Police Officer, that they had made a mistake and killed an innocent person. “The soldiers acknowledged that the killing of Abdulsamad Jamiu was a mistake. They admitted that they had killed an innocent person,” the family’s formal statement read. They said this admission was captured in a written statement.
Habiba Abubakar’s account of learning about her son’s death is a portrait of a mother’s worst nightmare.
She had travelled with her husband for a burial ceremony, expecting to return on Saturday to meet her son at home. At approximately 2:30 a.m., a neighbour called to say she was hearing gunshots.
“I said hello. She said, ‘Hope there is no problem?’ She said she’s hearing gunshots. Fear gripped me,” Abubakar recounted.
She tried calling her first son but his phone was switched off. Her daughter’s line was busy. When she finally reached her husband, he was evasive.
“Initially, he didn’t want to tell me the actual truth. He said, ‘Soldier carried Abdulsamad.’ I said, soldier, Abdulsamad? How, for what? He said, no, they want to go and interrogate him,” the mother recounted.
Her phone was then taken from her while she was crying. When she demanded it back, the family claimed they could not find it.
“That was when I knew that my son is not alive again,” she stated.
She kept pressing her daughter Farida for the truth, but Farida kept urging her to calm down, citing her blood pressure.
“I’m getting to Abuja, only for me to discover that my son was dead,” the mother stated, weeping throughout the interview.
“Who did he offend? I want to know. Who did you offend?” she repeated through her grief.
Engineer Sani Jimoh, who was in Okene, Kogi State, when the incident occurred, received the news from his daughter Farida, who was in the house at the time.
Farida told him she heard a gunshot from the ground floor and immediately rushed toward her brother’s room, only to be met by soldiers who flashed a torchlight at her. She pleaded with them not to harm her.
“She told me that, based on her observation, the soldiers were three in number and they immediately demanded her to follow them toward the house’s fence,” Jimoh stated.
The soldiers told Farida they were pursuing a suspect who they believed had jumped into the compound.
“She had to run toward his room immediately where she found his lifeless body on the floor, in a pool of his blood, and a blown head. She confronted them telling them that ‘so you have killed my brother,’” Jimoh recounted.
He said he spoke to one of the soldiers via phone after Farida handed over her phone. The soldier repeated the explanation about pursuing a thief who may have jumped into the compound.
“I tried to ask them how they accessed my home, but their response was that I should not bother about that,” Jimoh stated.
He challenged the soldiers’ explanation: “Even if you are pursuing an armed robber, you should not open fire toward his locked room, when you can hear him asking, ‘who is there, who is there.’”
