The family of 24-year-old tailor Abubakar Adam Abdullahi is seeking justice after accusing the police of killing him during nationwide protests in Kaduna, northern Nigeria, against the rising cost of living.
Local police deny involvement in his death, and a spokesperson for the Kaduna state governor claims no deaths have been reported from the protests.
However, Amnesty International contests this, stating that three people have died in Kaduna alone.
Abubakar’s brother, Ismail, told reporters that the tailor was shot in the chest by police on Thursday and later died in Yusuf Dantsoho hospital. “All we want is justice for our brother,” Ismail said.
Across Nigeria, since the protests began five days ago, police report at least seven people killed, 700 arrested, and one protest leader detained by elite officers.
Despite warnings from President Bola Tinubu, thousands of Nigerians joined the protests, driven by concerns over the escalating cost of living and inspired by the successful rallies of young Kenyans.
Abubakar, the youngest of 14 children, lived with his parents in Kaduna and had ambitious career plans, hoping to start a family. Rising costs, however, made his future increasingly uncertain, prompting him to join the protests. “
As a tailor, money for materials, food, and rent had all gone up. Everyone is affected by this economic crisis,” Ismail explained.
Video footage from the time of Abubakar’s death shows him among a group of young men shouting at police before attempting to flee.
Witnesses told Abubakar’s brother that they were near the office of Kaduna’s governor, Uba Sani, when Abubakar said he was tired and wanted to go home. Moments later, police allegedly opened fire on the protesters.
The video captures Abubakar falling to the ground, with his friends shouting “officer stop” and “they shot him” in Hausa. “It was shocking when we got a call to come to the hospital after he was shot because we know he wasn’t violent,” Ismail said.
He struggles to comprehend how this could happen to his kind, caring, and hardworking brother. “We later saw videos of him sitting or talking to friends during the protest which also proved he wasn’t misbehaving,” he added.
Mohammed Lawal Shehu, a spokesman for the Kaduna state governor, stated that they have not acknowledged any deaths from the protest because they rely on police reports, which claim there were no fatalities. “
According to the police, there wasn’t any death from the protests and we rely on them for information,” he said.
Amnesty International is calling for an investigation into the deaths of 23 protesters across the country, including three in Kaduna.
Ismail insists that his family will not rest until they get answers about his brother’s death. “He was in high spirits when he went out with his friends to the protest. He was concerned by the state of things in the country,” Ismail said.
Source-BBC
