What happened inside a quiet home in Dei-Dei in the early hours of April 25 is now the subject of a growing and painful dispute.
The family of 24-year-old NYSC member Abdulsamad Jamiu says he was not caught in a gunfight — as claimed by the Nigerian Army — but was instead shot dead while asleep in his room.
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Their account is stark.
According to the family, soldiers entered the compound around 2 a.m., scaled the fence without warning, and fired a single shot through Jamiu’s closed door — killing him instantly.
No exchange of gunfire.
No armed robbers.
No warning.
“The evidence does not support the army’s claim,” the family said, pointing to the bullet trajectory and the absence of any weapons at the scene.
They allege that soldiers later admitted the killing was a mistake — a claim they say was made in the presence of police.
Even more troubling, they accuse security personnel of ordering the cleanup of bloodstains, potentially compromising evidence.
The military had earlier stated that Jamiu died in crossfire during an operation against armed robbers.
Now, his family is demanding answers:
Who authorised the operation?
Why was lethal force used?
And where are the suspects the army claims to have pursued?
Their demand is simple, but heavy:
Justice — not silence.