The family of a National Youth Service Corps member, Abdulsamad Jamiu, has dismissed the Nigerian Army’s account of the circumstances surrounding his death in Dei-Dei, Abuja, insisting the 24-year-old was shot inside his home by soldiers.
According to the family, Jamiu was not a victim of crossfire, as claimed by the Nigerian Army, but was killed in a direct shooting.
The Army had earlier stated that the incident occurred on April 25 when troops from the Guards Brigade responded to a distress call over an alleged armed robbery in the area. In a statement, the brigade’s spokesperson, Odunola Olawuyi, said the soldiers encountered gunfire from fleeing suspects during the operation.
“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,” Olawuyi said.
The Army described the development as “tragic,” noting that efforts were made to restore calm and protect residents, but that Jamiu later died from his injuries.
In a detailed rebuttal issued on Monday, however, the family rejected that narrative in its entirety.
“This statement is issued in direct and formal response to the account of events published by the Nigerian Military, which the family categorically rejects as false, misleading, and an affront to the memory of an innocent young man,” the statement read.
They said Jamiu was killed in the early hours of April 25 at his residence in Dei-Dei Shagari Quarters while his parents were away in Okene for a burial ceremony.
The family alleged that soldiers entered the compound around 2:00 a.m. and fired a shot through his bedroom door. His sister, who was at home at the time, reportedly rushed out after hearing the gunshot but was told by the soldiers to go outside and “calm down.”
“The trajectory of the bullet… conclusively establishes that the shot was fired from outside the room, through the closed door,” the family said, adding that this “is not consistent with a firefight” but rather “consistent with military personnel discharging a lethal weapon at a person they could not see.”
They also disputed the Army’s claim of an exchange of gunfire, stating that no weapons were recovered and there was no indication of a shootout at the scene.
“An exchange of gunfire presupposes an adversary who is armed and actively firing. No such adversary has been identified. No weapon was recovered from the scene,” the statement added.
The family further alleged that the soldiers gained entry into the compound by scaling the fence instead of using the gate, raising concerns about the legality of the operation.
“This is not the entry pattern of a unit responding to an active armed robbery in lawful hot pursuit. This is the entry pattern of a covert, unannounced, and unlawful forced entry into a private residence,” they said.
According to the family, residents and vigilante members reported hearing only a single gunshot — the one that killed Jamiu.
“Every witness is consistent on one critical point: the only gunshot heard that night was the shot fired inside the Jamiu family residence,” they stated.
They also claimed that soldiers at the scene admitted responsibility, describing the killing as a mistake.
“The soldiers acknowledged that the killing of Abdulsamad Jamiu was a mistake. They admitted that they had killed an innocent person,” the statement said.
The family raised further concerns over alleged attempts to tamper with evidence, claiming vigilante members were instructed to clean up the scene.