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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

No crossfire! Soldiers fired through my nephew’s door — Slain corper’s uncle

From The Punch · (5m ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Abubakar Shehu, uncle of the slain NYSC member Abdulsamad Jamiu, described the deceased as a promising, easy-going, and hardworking young man.
  • Jamiu was allegedly killed by soldiers in Abuja while attending to a side job involving site work and photography.
  • The family is devastated by the loss and questions the soldiers' actions, demanding an explanation for the fatal shooting through the victim's door.

The tragic death of Abdulsamad Jamiu, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, allegedly at the hands of soldiers in Abuja, has sent shockwaves through his family and community. Speaking to The Punch, his uncle, Abubakar Shehu, paints a picture of a bright young man whose life was cut short under deeply disturbing circumstances. The narrative from the family highlights Jamiu's character – easy-going, hardworking, and a source of pride, particularly to his mother who saw him as a future support.

Samad was a very easy-going person and a hardworking, promising young man. I was his uncle. He was someone I was very proud of as my nephew.

— Abubakar ShehuShehu describes his nephew, Abdulsamad Jamiu, and the pride he felt in him.

The circumstances surrounding Jamiu's death, as recounted by his uncle, raise serious questions about the conduct of the soldiers involved. The claim of chasing thieves who allegedly ran into Jamiu's room, leading to soldiers firing through his door, is met with disbelief and anguish by the family. Shehu emphasizes that even in such a scenario, firing blindly through a door without confirming the occupants' presence or danger is unacceptable and points to a grave lapse in protocol and judgment.

His loss to the family is devastating. For a child to be raised to that level and then lost like this is a great tragedy.

— Abubakar ShehuShehu expresses the profound grief and devastation felt by the family over Jamiu's death.

This incident, unfortunately, touches upon a sensitive issue in Nigeria: the conduct of security forces and the vulnerability of citizens. While the family acknowledges Jamiu was on a side job, the core of their grief and demand for justice lies in the alleged recklessness that led to his death. The family's pain is palpable, emphasizing the devastating impact of such events on loved ones and the broader community's trust in those meant to protect them. The aspiration for Jamiu to become someone of value to society makes his loss even more poignant.

He said he had some site work to attend to and needed to take pictures of the progress to send to his boss. That was our last discussion.

— Abubakar ShehuShehu recounts his last conversation with Jamiu before the incident.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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