The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned the alleged killing of a 16-year old teenager, Isma’il Muhammad by a soldier, during the 24 hours curfew imposed to curtail the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN while reacting to the incident said it is particularly troubling given the Commission’s previous Advisory on the excesses of law enforcement agencies during the protests.
Ojukwu reiterated that the right to life is sacrosanct and cannot be violated under any circumstances and added that, the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians, especially minors, is unacceptable and a clear violation of international human rights standards.
“We demand a thorough and transparent investigation into this incident and call for the soldier involved to be held accountable”, he said and added that, “this is not an isolated incident, and the NHRC will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary steps to ensure that human rights are protected and promoted in Nigeria.
“The Commission urges the authorities to take concrete measures to address the systemic issues leading to these violations and ensure that law enforcement agencies operate within the ambit of the law and respect human rights”.
While commiserating with the family of Isma’il Muhammad, the NHRC boss said, the Commission will leave no stone unturned in investigating this killing and several other violations that took place during the protest.
