By Caleb Jacob
The family of Patience Simon, 17, is demanding justice for their late daughter, who was allegedly shot dead by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano State.
Grassroots Parrot reports that the incident happened on Wednesday, 5th March, 2025, during an alleged raid by the NDLEA officials at Shago Tara in Jaba, Ugongo Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Late Patience was a secondary school graduate and the first child of her parent’s two daughters.
Mrs. Beauty Simon, the victim’s mother, who was visibly traumatized, told our correspondent that she was indoors when neighbours alerted her to the incident around 9 p.m.
According to Mrs. Simon, the neighbours alleged that two men from the NDLEA stormed the area and shot at Patience, who was sitting alongside her friends, and she died instantly.
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“The neighbour told me that two people came and saw her with her friends; they brought out a gun and shot her. They were not fighting, smoking, or taking something bad—just like that—they shot her,” she explained.
Mrs. Simon added that the police later arrived, but efforts to gather statements were frustrated by the parents of other children who witnessed the gory incident for fear of indictment.
“They put her (Patience’s) body inside a car and brought it out again, saying that they wanted to see her friends that were around when it happened because they needed statements before they would take her corpse to the hospital.
“But none of those children—even her close friend—agreed to give their statements because their parents told them not to say anything. Some, their parents gave them money to run away.” She lamented.
She said Patience’s corpse was at the scene for about three hours until a bike carrying two men in black drove roughly towards the scene and had an accident, causing the police to engage them.
“I saw the two people on the machine (motorcycle); they wore black trousers, shirts, and caps. Immediately they got to where my daughter’s corpse lay; they just had an accident. The police began to question them.”
She added that in the process of questioning and searching, bullets and a jackknife were discovered on them, which led to their arrest.
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Mrs. Simon wondered why her innocent daughter would be killed in such a manner despite not being involved in drugs or social vices.
She confirmed that her daughter’s corpse has been deposited at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital’s mortuary.
According to her, the NDLEA had paid a condolence visit to the family and promised to take responsibility for the burial of the late Patience.
However, the grieving mother is demanding justice.
“I want justice for Patience! If I don’t get justice, my daughter’s soul will not rest in peace. I want those people to face the law.” She wept.
One of the family friends, Mr. Rotimi, who also lent his voice to the cry for justice, stressed that the area is not known as a notorious location for bad gangs or drug cartels.
Meanwhile, one of the close friends of the late Patience Simon is still traumatized.
Mrs. Jummai Hassan, mother of the deceased’s friend, said her daughter saw the late Patience that night sitting with a group of people just a few minutes before the incident.
“My daughter said she called her to go back home, but she refused.” Hassan said.
Mrs. Hassan disclosed that sources who were around the scene told her that those whom Patience hung with were smoking and dancing before the incident.
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“Truly, I will not say what I did not see, but what people told me was that they were smoking and dancing there that night. That was what I heard.” She said.
During our visit to the NDLEA’s office, its spokesperson, Sadiq Maigatari, confirmed the incident, adding that investigations are ongoing to unravel the situation.
“Actually, investigations are ongoing in respect of that matter, and we are trying to get to the root of the problem, the cause, and those involved in the problem before any other thing.” Maigatari said.
He, however, declined further comment because he was not authorized to speak extensively on the matter.
Also, in a telephone interview, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, spokesperson of the Kano Police Command, confirmed that two suspects have been apprehended over the incident and the investigation was in progress.