Abuja, FCT, NIGERIA — A military police investigative unit has uncovered deeply disturbing evidence in the ongoing investigation into the killing of Abdulsamad Jamiu, a 24-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.
On Wednesday, the family released a statement detailing how investigators were led to a shallow grave in their own backyard containing the remnants of Abdulsamad’s skull and brain matter.
The discovery was made following the formal interrogation of local vigilante members who were present at the scene in Dei-Dei on the night of the incident. According to the family, the vigilantes confessed that after the shooting, they were not only directed by the soldiers to “mop up” the blood with detergent but were also instructed to bury the fragments of the deceased’s head in the ground behind the house. Okay News reports that this was done without the knowledge or consent of the family, who described the act as treating their son’s remains “like refuse.”
From “Crossfire” to “Mistake”
The Nigerian Army Guards Brigade initially claimed that Abdulsamad was caught in a crossfire during a gun battle with armed robbers on Saturday, April 25. However, the family has consistently rejected this narrative, providing evidence that the fatal shot was fired through a closed bedroom door inside their home. Abdulsamad’s father, Sani Jimoh, recently revealed that military officials privately admitted the killing was a “mistake” after soldiers scaled the fence believing a suspect had entered the premises.
The family expressed profound gratitude to the Nigerian public and the media for refusing to let the case be silenced. They remain resolute in their demand for accountability, stating that the “tampering with evidence” by instructing vigilantes to bury human remains further complicates the military’s initial account. The investigative team has assured the family that the probe will be thorough and transparent, as calls for independent civilian oversight continue to grow.
