Mother of Slain NYSC Member Faults Army’s Crossfire Account

By Toffa Momoh

ABUJA — The mother of Abdulsamad Jamiu, the National Youth Service Corps member allegedly killed by soldiers in Dei-Dei, Abuja, has disputed the Army’s version of events, insisting her son was shot inside his room.

Habiba Abubakar, in an interview on Monday, said she was out of town for a burial when a neighbour alerted her to trouble in her area. She said calls to her son went unanswered, her husband was evasive, and her daughter Farida urged her to stay calm because of her blood pressure.

Recounting what she was told, Abubakar alleged that soldiers scaled the compound fence, entered through the backyard door, and went directly to Abdulsamad’s room, where he was killed. She further claimed soldiers asked local vigilantes to clean up the blood with a bucket and detergent taken from her kitchen.

“I travelled on Thursday, hoping to come back on Saturday to meet my son at home. Only for me to receive a call from my next neighbour around 2:30. I said hello. She said, ‘Hope there is no problem?’ She said she’s hearing gunshots. Fear gripped me,” she said.

The Headquarters Guards Brigade had earlier said Jamiu died on April 25 after being caught in crossfire. Brigade spokesperson Odunola Olawuyi said troops responding to an armed robbery distress call came under fire from fleeing suspects and that Jamiu’s death occurred “in the course of the engagement.”

But in a statement on Monday, the family rejected the military’s account, calling it “false, misleading, and an affront to the memory of an innocent young man.”