10-year-old boy allegedly shot by police enforcing Lockdown in Jigawa dies

A 10-year-old boy who was allegedly shot by policemen enforcing the lockdown in Sankara community, Ringim LGA in Jigawa, has died, the father of the boy revealed.

Usman Abdulkadir, a 10-year-old primary school student, was allegedly hit by a stray bullet on Monday, April 20, as police officers were firing shots to disperse people transacting businesses at Sankara market when they should have been observing the lockdown.

The injured boy was rushed to the hospital while a protest broke out as people expressed anger over the incident.

Abdulkadir Suleiman, the father of the victim, told Premium Times that Usman “died while receiving treatment at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital on Thursday.”

“He is dead,” he repeated.

Mr Suleiman had earlier told the publication that his son sustained a fracture in his head, adding that his condition was critical and he has been unconscious for three days.

“I’m in confusion, I don’t know what to do. I was referred from Ringim General Hospital to Rasheed Shekoni specialist hospital in Dutse the state capital, yet my son’s condition keeps on deteriorating.

“From Dutse in Jigawa, now they referred us to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano where the boy is expected to undergo skull surgery,” the father had said.

Before Usman’s death, the police spokesperson in Jigawa, Audu Jinjiri, had denied the boy was hit by police bullet, Premium Times reports.

He said the boy sustained a head injury as a result of a stone hurled by youth resisting the lockdown.

The police command in Jigawa had, also, earlier summoned the father of the victim to ascertain his claims.