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

Abubakar Shehu, the uncle of 24-year-old NYSC member, Abdulsamad Jamiu, allegedly killed by soldiers in Abuja, speaks to SOLOMON ODENIYI about the deceased’s personality, aspirations, and the family’s demands

Can you tell us who the deceased was?

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. I even stood in for him during his convocation in Botswana, and I heard very positive feedback about him from people there.

Even though we were not always present, it showed he was consistent both at home and in public. People spoke highly of him, and I was very proud. I can tell you for a fact that he was someone anyone would be proud to have as a son.

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. Being the first son, having completed his degree in Civil Engineering, and already serving as a corps member gave his mother a sense of relief that he was becoming responsible and could support the family.

His younger siblings looked up to him. So, his loss is very painful for us. Words cannot even explain it. I don’t pray that anyone experiences this, not even our worst enemy.

When was the last time you spoke with him?

I saw him on Sunday. I visited them at their house.

Did he show any sign that something bad was about to happen?

No. We met, greeted, and talked. When he was going out, I asked where he was going. 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.

Was that part of his Place of Primary Assignment or a side job?

It was not his Place of Primary Assignment. It was a side job to earn extra income.

What were his aspirations?

He always wanted to be someone of value to society. If you go to the community where he lived, people will tell you how he impacted their lives. He was loved by many. He had a way of encouraging people when they were down. He aspired to be someone who added value to society.

At what point did the incident happen?

It happened about five days after I visited.

How did you hear about it?

Around 2am, his younger sister called me, crying and saying, ‘Uncle, they have killed Samad. Soldiers shot him in the head.’ I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it. I waited anxiously for daybreak so I could go there myself.

What did you see when you got there?

By the time I got there, he had already been taken to a mortuary by the police. I heard claims that soldiers said they were chasing thieves and that the thieves ran into the house.

But if a thief ran into a house, as a military officer, you should understand that the occupants are already in danger. You don’t just shoot through a door without confirming who is inside.

I was not there, so I cannot say whether they knocked. But he was alone in the room, while his sister was upstairs.

You cannot claim you were chasing a thief and then fire through a closed door. There was no indication of a struggle or distress in the house. And at 2 am, if someone is knocking on your door, you cannot just open it without fear.

From what we saw, the shot came from outside. The bloodstains were close to the door, indicating a close-range shot. We were also told that vigilantes were asked to clean the blood.

What did the vigilantes say about their involvement in the incident?

When questioned, they admitted they were asked to clean the bloodstains and even to pack parts of his remains. Some of the people present were reportedly told to leave and hide in an unfinished building.

This is why the claim of crossfire does not make sense. It was a fenced house. There were no other gunshots—only the one through his door.

How did your family feel when you heard the claim of a shootout?

It was very painful. I am still disturbed. Samad did not deserve to die that way.

Anyone who knew him would testify to his character. Go to the community and ask—no one will say anything bad about him.

The family demanded that the military retract its statement. Are you satisfied with the response?

I saw a report this morning still mentioning crossfire. We insist there was no crossfire.

I told one of the investigators that continuing to use that term is disrespectful. Everyone who has visited the scene knows that the crossfire narrative is misleading.

I fear they may be trying to twist the story eventually. Even if investigations are ongoing, it is obvious there was no crossfire. No one in the community reported any robbery that day. So, who called them? Which house was robbed? There is no answer.

So, you are saying he was not caught in any crossfire?

There was no crossfire. There were no thieves.

So, do you know why your nephew was killed?

We don’t know. The dead cannot speak. The soldiers are the only ones who can explain what happened, but they have not. Investigations are ongoing, and we hope the truth will come out.

How are his parents coping?

This is not something you tell a parent not to grieve over. You just have to let them learn to live with it. He was their first son; he was in his room when it happened. It’s hard to make sense of it.

How many siblings does he have?

There are five in total. Four are left now.

What do you want to see happen?

We want clarity—what happened and why. Right now, nothing makes sense. Even if there was any misunderstanding, taking his life can never be justified.

Do you have any final message to the public?

All we want is justice. The authorities should be transparent and conduct a proper investigation. If justice is not served, this could happen again. Today it is us; tomorrow, it could be someone else.