According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers stormed the community, home to thousands of Ahmadu Bello University students, on Tuesday morning and opened fire on civilians.
Tragedy struck in Zaria, Kaduna State, as Nigerian soldiers fired live rounds to suppress #EndBadGovernance protest in Samaru community, killing two civilians and sparking widespread panic.
According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers stormed the community, home to thousands of Ahmadu Bello University students, on Tuesday morning and opened fire on civilians.
SaharaReporters learnt that the military's brutal crackdown was aimed to disperse protesters who had been gathering in the area for days.
A student resident confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters, describing the atmosphere as tense and volatile following the senseless killing of innocent civilians.
The community source said, “The Army came early this morning (Tuesday) and did not care; they just started shooting. Their aim was to suppress the ongoing protest. Unfortunately, their bullets hit two residents at the market area of Samaru. They both died.”
“One of them was a 16-year-old boy. I do not know much about the identity of the second one,” the source added.
A graphic video shared by X user Better Kaduna shows the lifeless body of one of the victims, providing disturbing visual evidence of the deadly crackdown on protesters in Zaria, Kaduna State.
He wrote: “Videos coming in from Samaru Community in Zaria are worrisome and Viewers Discretion is advised.
“Being a student-dominated community, we are calling on ABU Zaria Authorities to ensure the safety of students and forestall further loss of lives.”
Attempts to contact the Kaduna State Police Command's spokesman, DSP Manir Hassan, for a statement on the incident were unsuccessful, as he remained unreachable despite multiple phone calls and a text message seeking his comment.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu for a statement were also unsuccessful. He also did not answer his calls or reply to a text message sent to him seeking his comment.
There is another viral video that show a police officer shooting a suspected protester in Azare, Bauchi State. The footage, allegedly recorded on Monday afternoon, has sparked outrage on social media, with many calling for the officer's identification and accountability.
However, the Bauchi State Police Command has dismissed the video as "fabricated and misleading" in a statement signed by SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO).
The command has denied the incident and rejected accompanying news reports, despite the video showing the officer firing his rifle at the victim and walking away without hesitation, prompting screams from the crowd.
“These claims are untrue and misleading. No such inhumane act was recorded by the Command at the mentioned location or any other part of the state," the command said.
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