By Caleb Jacob
Widespread outrage on Monday erupted in the Goron Dutse area of Dala Local Government in Kano State after policemen from the Jakara Division allegedly opened fire during a wedding ceremony on Sunday, killing two teenagers and injuring three others.
The victims were identified as Michael Rotimi (19) and Dan Yahaya (15). Residents said officers stormed the Yalwa community and began shooting “without provocation” during a traditional Gangi display held to entertain guests. The densely populated neighbourhood was filled with women, children, and wedding attendees at the time.
Rotimi, who was shot in the head, reportedly died after three hospitals rejected him amid the ongoing nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD). Yahaya, hit by bullets in the back, died on Monday. Both were buried later Monday evening according to Islamic rites.
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Mr. Rotimi, father of 19-year-old Michael Rotimi, told Grassroots Parrot that he had left his son at home washing clothes shortly before the shooting.
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“I left my boy at home washing his clothes,” he said. “Around 2:10 or 2:15 p.m., my wife called me. She said she heard a rumour that something happened to our son that police people shot him.”
He rushed to the area and later to the hospital where his son had been taken.
“By the time I reached the hospital, they had already started attending to him,” he recalled. “They said they needed to take him to the theatre because the bullet entered his head.”
Residents’ Doctors’ Strike Frustrates Rescue Efforts
Medical personnel told the family the case was beyond what they could handle. Attempts to transfer the teenager for better care were hampered by the doctors’ strike.
“They referred us to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), but they said they were on strike,” he said. “We took him from one hospital to another. Two private hospitals too had no doctor available. My boy died on our way to the Armed Forces Military Hospital.”
Seeking justice, the family took the young man’s body to the Jankara Police Division but were met with indifference.
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“We took his dead body to the station. The DPO (Divisional Police Officer) did not even stand up to attend to us,” he alleged. “He said it was not his men, but we have witnesses who can identify them. I’m very disappointed in the Nigeria Police. We are talking about a human being.” Rotimi added.
Eyewitnesses: ‘They Started Shooting Without Reason’
Residents insist the shooting was unprovoked. Community members told Grassroots Parrot that the Gangi ceremony had been peaceful before the officers arrived.
Police source, however, claim the officers acted on intelligence that a Gangi-related clash was being planned. Grassroots Parrot also gathered that the Division had been allegedly in a long-standing conflict with youths involved in Gangi. A police constable was reportedly killed in a similar incident three weeks earlier.
An eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, said the shooting began shortly after 2 p.m. “I saw about five police vehicles, and the officers were shooting,” he said. He added that one of the policemen, who knew him, even greeted him.
According to him, the officer claimed they responded after residents allegedly threw stones at them and had fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. “But I didn’t perceive any tear gas in the air,” he said.
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He described the scene as chaotic. “At least five of them looked under 17, and they had been shot. There was no fight or misunderstanding that could justify such action.”
He said one of the victims died before receiving treatment. “I can identify some of the officers involved from the Jakara Division,” he added.
‘A Stray Bullet Killed My Nephew’
Another eyewitness, identified as Yusuf Shehu Ahmad, said his15-year old nephew, who later died on Monday had only accompanied his mother to pay a condolence visit.
“After greeting the bereaved family, he stepped outside while his mother stayed inside,” he said. “While he was outside, a stray bullet hit him in the back and we lost him.”
He expressed deep sorrow: “We feel deeply pained and heartbroken. Please, if there is any way to stop this kind of tragedy from happening again, we would be very grateful.”
Another witness said the shooting started abruptly. “We suddenly started hearing gunshots, and people began running in different directions,” he said. “A boy was shot first, then a second, a third, and a fourth. We were all in shock because everything had been calm.”
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He rejected claims that police were provoked. “There was no stoning; that claim is not true,” he insisted. “The officers were on the main road while we were inside. They started shooting from the gate, and their bullets reached us, hitting innocent people.”
Police Silent
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Kano State Police Command, CSP Abdullahi Kiyawa, were unsuccessful. Calls and messages sent to him since Monday afternoon were not returned as of the time of filing this report on Monday evening.