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Nigerian Air Force Special Forces on their arrival at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Airport, during their deployment to Katsina state on Friday. Photo: NAN
Residents of Barikallahu, a community near the Air Force Institute of Technology in Kaduna State, are gripped with fear after Nigerian Air Force personnel stormed the area, killing one person and injuring two others on Wednesday night.
The incident, which occurred around 10 p.m., was captured in multiple videos obtained by our correspondent.
The footage showed a vehicle painted in military camouflage colour, which bore the NAF logo, arriving in the community.
Our correspondent counted five armed personnel, apart from the driver, who were stepping out of the vehicle.
In one of the videos, our correspondent saw residents fleeing as the soldiers advanced.
One clip showed the personnel apprehending a man, beating him while others inside the vehicle shouted in pidgin English, “Put am inside, put am inside” (Put him inside).
Another video captured the soldiers firing sporadically into the air before the recording was abruptly cut.
A separate video showed a large crowd mourning the deceased victim.
Speaking anonymously due to fear of reprisal, a resident told our correspondent that the NAF personnel had been aggressive to residents before Wednesday’s incident.
The resident claimed that an NAF personnel had an issue with a resident because a woman mobilised his colleagues to the community.
He said, “This happened at a village not far from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Kaduna. Before this incident, residents have a lot to say about the aggressiveness of the soldiers. There was a time when a curfew was introduced in this area, that people should not go out. We were watching football, and the soldiers came and scattered everywhere, people’s properties went missing, among others.
“Yesterday’s attack started because of a fight between a soldier and a resident over a woman. The soldier later returned with his colleagues, and they started beating people, shooting into the air, and chasing everyone.”
Unfortunately, the person who was killed knew nothing about the whole thing; he was hit by a bullet from the gunshot by the soldiers, and he died. The two others were shot- one on his shoulder, the other on his leg. They are presently in the hospital. It was a tragic incident that has caused panic in the whole of the community.”
Another eyewitness, who also requested anonymity, described the chaos.
“The soldiers entered our area, killed one person, and injured two others. They were just shooting, anyhow. I saw the boy die right in front of me,” he said.
When contacted, the Air Force spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, confirmed that an investigation was ongoing.
“Investigation is ongoing as we speak. The Kaduna Base Commander is currently engaging with the affected community,” Akinboyewa stated.
Meanwhile, the residents of Barikallahu have started demanding justice for the victims, especially their slain colleague, Godwin.
Our correspondent obtained a flyer designed for the victim, which read, “ We want justice for Godwin.”
