Youths in Gashua community, Yobe State, have protested the killing of a driver identified as Mohammed Musa, allegedly by military personnel.
Reports gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday at one of the filling stations in Garin Alkali community via Gashua, the headquarters of Bade Local Government Area of the state.
Authorities of Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai in Damaturu, when contacted, said they are yet to receive any report on the incident.
The spokesman for the sector command, Lieutenant Kennedy Anyanwu, however, promised to reach out as soon as the case was reported.
Narrating how the incident occurred, sources in the community told Channels Television that the military personnel were on patrol.
They were said to have arrived at the filling station to enforce the ban on the sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, in jerrycans.
According to Adamu Hassan, who witnessed the incident, the sudden arrival of the soldiers caused panic among the people who were at the facility.
“The military personnel drove into the station on motorcycles and other military vehicles with their heads covered, which caused panic,” Hassan narrated. “But they asked the people to calm down. A scared driver who attempted to escape was shot dead on the spot.”
Another source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The military (operatives) were patrolling filling stations that are selling the prohibited Premium Motor Spirit in jerry cans.
“On sighting the military, all the people in the station were trying to escape which led to the shooting of the said driver.”
As soon as the man was killed, irate youths took to the streets in protest of the shooting, wielding sticks and chanting various solidarity songs to demand justice.
One of the chants in their local language, “Bamu yar da ba,” is translated as “we will not agree to the killing of our driver by the military.”
