Niger protest: Family of man killed by police stray bullet demands compensation

The family of a scrap parts dealer, Aminu Ahmadu who was killed by a stray bullet during the protest by residents of Minna, Niger State, over hardship and rising cost of living has demanded compensation from the Niger State government and police authorities. Daily Trust had reported how women and youth barricaded Minna-Bida Road at […]

The family of a scrap parts dealer, Aminu Ahmadu who was killed by a stray bullet during the protest by residents of Minna, Niger State, over hardship and rising cost of living has demanded compensation from the Niger State government and police authorities.

Daily Trust had reported how women and youth barricaded Minna-Bida Road at the Minna popular Kpakungu Roundabout on Monday to protest against hardship and rising cost of living.

Trying to disperse the aggrieved protesters, police operatives fired gun shots and teargas.

Consequently, Aminu was reportedly hit by a stray bullet which penetrated through the right side of his chest from his shoulder.

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His younger brother, Sani Ahmadu, told our correspondent that even when his elder brother was screaming in pain, they could not take him to hospital for treatment because the police had cordoned off everywhere, looking for initiators of the protest to arrest.

He said his brother died on Thursday, four days after the incident without any medical help as they required the support of the police to take him to hospital, but were scared of approaching them for help because of fear that they would be arrested.

“It was very unfortunate. He was on his way home when the protest started and a stray bullet hit him on his shoulder. My brother wasn’t participating in the protest. He was coming back home when the protest started. I was at home when he returned with blood all over his body and he said he was hit by a police bullet.

“We couldn’t take him to hospital because the police had cordoned off everywhere. Even when I came out of our house to seek help to convene him to hospital, police personnel were everywhere arresting people. I was scared of being arrested too. So, we couldn’t take him to hospital for treatment,” he said.

Although the deceased was said to have not married, the deceased younger brother said his late elder brother was a pillar to the rest of the family.

The Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, had said after the protest that, “After much persuasion by the police, the protesters deliberately refused to clear the road for public use, adding that the deputy governor, Yakubu Garba, equally availed himself at the scene and addressed the group, yet they turned deaf ears and chose to be violent.”

According to him, “The police adopted minimum force to disperse the protesters who turned violent by attacking the police with dangerous weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses and damaged police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.”

The Niger State government through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Binta Mamman, had earlier apologised to those that were arrested and citizens in general for the arrest, saying that the state governor had ordered their release from police custody.