The father of a National Youth Service Corps member killed in Abuja has rejected the Nigerian Army's account of the incident, insisting that physical evidence contradicts their version of events.
Sani Jimoh, the father of Abdulsamad Jamiu, stated that the army admitted to mistakenly killing his son in the Dei-Dei area of Abuja. Jamiu, a corps member serving at Government Junior Secondary School in Nasarawa State, was allegedly shot dead by soldiers in his room on April 25, 2026.
Father Challenges Army's Narrative
Speaking with TheCable on Monday, April 27, 2026, Jimoh said he and his wife were in Kogi State for a burial when they received a distress call from their daughter around 2 a.m. on Saturday. He questioned how the situation escalated into a fatal shooting, emphasizing that his son was inside his room when he was killed.
According to Jimoh, the soldiers told him they were pursuing a suspected thief. "They said that they were pursuing a thief, but they couldn't see the thief, so they went through the back and saw that the barbed wire was altered, and they thought someone had jumped through it inside my compound," he narrated.
Details of the Incident
Jimoh added that the operatives gained access to the house and attempted to force open his son's room. "I asked how they gained entrance into the main house, and they said that it seemed the door was not locked. And when you gained access into the main house, they were trying to open the door (Samad's room), and somebody was there trying to block them from opening the door, and what happened now happened," he said.
The bereaved father further recounted that the soldiers told him, "Oga calm down, and it was a mistake."
NYSC Reacts to Corps Member's Death
The NYSC confirmed the tragic death of Jamiu and expressed deep condolences, pledging to strengthen security measures for all corps members nationwide. The incident has sparked concerns about the safety of young Nigerians serving their country.
In a related development, a LASU graduate was reportedly abducted by gunmen while traveling to the NYSC orientation camp in Osun State. The victim was allegedly shot in the leg, and kidnappers issued a N20 million ransom demand. The family is under pressure as they struggle to meet the ultimatum.
