Amid the ongoing nationwide protests, a family in Kano State is calling for justice following the death of their 25-year-old son during a protest that turned violent with security forces.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, August 3, in the Rijiyar Lemo and Kurnar Asabe areas of Fagge Local Government Area, where at least eight people lost their lives.
According to Daily Trust reports, the confrontation began when protesters in Rijiyar Lemo, situated along Katsina Road, clashed with police officers.
Among the victims was Bashir Muhammad Lawan, a 25-year-old man, who was fatally shot during the unrest.
His family, deeply grieving his loss, recounted the harrowing details of the event.
Malam Muhammad Lawal, Bashir’s father, revealed that his son had only been out of the house for 15 minutes before joining the protest.
“He was out there with other people on the road holding placards during the protest, which was peaceful until around Zuhr time when security agents came to disperse them. They were shouting ‘bama yi, bama yi’ (to hell with you), and then the security started shooting, and consequently, my son was hit,” the heartbroken father said.
According to him, the situation escalated when the crowd started shouting ‘bama yi, bama yi’ (to hell with you) as police intervened.
Witnesses and relatives claim that the police responded with live ammunition after the protesters began booing them.
Khadija Bala, Bashir’s elder sister, described the tragic moment, saying;
“He was trying to take cover when he was struck by bullets. They were protesting peacefully but were branded as ‘yan daba’ (thugs). Poor people should not be denied their right to protest. We demand justice for Bashir.”
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