The family of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Abdulsamad Jamiu, has accused the Nigerian Army of spreading false information about how their 24-year-old son died, insisting he was shot while asleep in his home in Abuja.
In a detailed statement, the family said the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, April 25, 2026, at their residence in Dei-Dei Shagari Quarters. They rejected the military’s claim that Jamiu died during an exchange of gunfire, describing the account as “false, misleading, and an affront to the memory of an innocent young man.”
According to the family, armed soldiers entered their compound around 2:00 a.m. under unclear circumstances. At the time, Abdulsamad was inside his room, while his sister was also in the house. Their parents were reportedly away in Okene for a burial.
The family alleged that soldiers fired a shot through the closed door of Abdulsamad’s room, hitting him in the head and killing him instantly.
They said a physical examination of the scene showed the bullet travelled from the door into the wall inside the room, indicating that it was fired from outside.
“The trajectory clearly shows the shot came through the door into the room where he was,” the statement said.
After the shooting, Abdulsamad’s sister reportedly rushed out in distress but was told by the soldiers to go outside and “calm down.”
The family also accused the soldiers of attempting to tamper with evidence. Community vigilante members who responded after hearing the gunshot were allegedly instructed to clean up the blood at the scene.
Police later arrived and evacuated the body to Kubwa General Hospital. The family claimed they were held for several hours for questioning before being allowed to take the body for burial.
They further stated that soldiers at the scene admitted the shooting was a mistake, acknowledging that an innocent person had been killed. According to the family, this admission was made in the presence of a Divisional Police Officer and documented.
However, the Nigerian military had earlier said its personnel were pursuing armed robbers and that Jamiu was killed during a crossfire.
The family rejected this version, saying there was no evidence of any gun battle.
“No weapons were recovered, no suspects were identified, and no other gunshots were heard apart from the one that killed Abdulsamad,” they said.
They also questioned how the soldiers gained access to the compound, claiming the gate was not forced open but that the fence was scaled, damaging barbed wire.
Community vigilantes were reported to have confirmed that no robbery had been reported in the area that night.
Eyewitnesses, including neighbours and residents, reportedly gave consistent accounts, stating that only one gunshot was heard.
“The only gunshot heard that night was the one that killed Abdulsamad,” the family said, adding that there was no exchange of gunfire anywhere in the community.
The family has demanded answers from the military, asking which unit authorised the operation, what justified entering a private residence at 2:00 a.m., who reported the alleged robbery, why a weapon was fired through a closed door, where the suspected robbers are, and why the scene was allegedly tampered with.
They described Abdulsamad as unarmed and not posing any threat at the time of his death.
“He was in his own room, behind a closed door, in a community where no robbery had been reported. He is dead,” the statement read.
The family is calling for an independent investigation outside military control, prosecution of those involved, a retraction of the military’s statement, and a public apology.
Accusing the military of institutional dishonesty, they said its response contradicts physical evidence, witness accounts, and alleged admissions made at the scene.
“The Nigerian Military is constitutionally mandated to protect citizens. That mandate was violated,” the family said.
They vowed to pursue justice through all legal means.
“Abdulsamad Jamiu deserves justice. His family deserves the truth. Nigeria deserves better,” the statement added.
