When pictures and videos of children participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest in the North emerged, many Nigerians saw nothing wrong with it.
In fact, many hailed the young children for daring to challenge the ‘bad governance’ of President Bola Tinubu.
Many others concluded that history will forever remember the young bloods, as they dared to challenge the narrative and demand a better Nigeria.
Now, the calamity of protest has befallen 16-year-old Ismail Mohammed in Zaria, and all Nigerians can do is play the blame game.
Indeed, incidents of this nature are bound to spark huge controversy.
Also, there are different versions of this story.
This tragic incident took place on Tuesday, August 6.
That day marked the 6th day of the #EndBadGovernance protest.
Army Kills 16-Year-Old Boy
Now, according to the Nigerian Army, the 16-year-old, who was gunned down in Zaria, was among the protesters.
The Nigerian Army spoke on Wednesday.
They said that the military personnel who killed the 16-year-old protester had been arrested.
The army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement disclosed that soldiers were enforcing the 24-hour curfew imposed on Kaduna and Zaria metropolis following reports of violence during the nationwide protest.
He said the soldiers were attacked by some hoodlums while enforcing the curfew in Samaru area of Zaria.
Nwachukwu added that hoodlums were throwing stones at security personnel and burning tyres despite the curfew.
Nigerian Army Speaks
The army spokesperson said the soldier fired a warning shot in a bid to disperse the protesters but accidentally killed the boy.
The statement reads: “On 6 August 2024, troops of the Nigerian Army received a distress call that some hoodlums gathered in Samaru in large numbers, burning tires on the road and pelting stones on security personnel.
“The troops immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene to disperse the mob and enforce the curfew imposed by the state government.
“On arrival at the scene, the hoodlums brazenly attempted attacking the troops, prompting a soldier to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away, which unfortunately led to the death of a 16-year-old boy Ismail Mohammed.
“The soldier involved has since been arrested and undergoing interrogation as at the time of this report.”
Another Story
Now, we have heard from the Nigerian Army, who are just on one side of the coin, it is only fair that we hear from the other side.
Meanwhile, in a trending audio recording, a relative of the deceased who identified himself as Mohammed Abubakar, recounted the incident just as it played out.
According to him, Samaru community has not been part of the #EndBadGovernance protest.
He said that Ismail Mohammed was shot at home.
Abubakar called on Nigerians to help him demand for justice for the deceased.
At this point, we do not know who to believe.
However, that is a story for another day.
Children Participation In Protests
Now, this incident has sparked concerns over the involvement of children in protests.
Should children participate in protests?
This is the question we should be asking ourselves.
Consider the violence that might break out during a protest, and the stampede.
How about the loss of lives?
Sadly, the issue of child involvement in protests is just one of the issues erupting from the #EndBadGovernance protest in the North.
Russian Flag Saga
The call for a takeover of the Tinubu-led administration stares us in the face.
It was in this same Noth that protesters started raising the Russian flag, calling Russia to come to their aid.
A funny, yet disturbing move.
Do you by chance know what that means?
In fact, the Federal Government has described this act as an act of treason.
Vandalism
Here comes the issue of vandalism in the North.
Also Read: Killed Kaduna Boy: My Brother Was Shot At Home By A Soldier
Indeed, while many states in other regions recorded a peaceful protest, we can not say the same for the North.
Vandalism of public infrastructure has become the order of the day.
The question is, to who’s detriment?
People are complaining that things are hard, yet the same people destroy public facilities.
Meanwhile, the government reminds us daily, that there is no money in the country.
Now, after the protest, the government will have to spend money to rebuild these infrastructures.
Money that would have been used for other things will be budgeted for these projects, and what’s worse, some of the money will end up in individual pockets or bank accounts, leaving the poor masses once again at the receiving end.
