13-Year-Old Boy Kills Himself for Allegedly Stealing 10 Thousand Naira, and Being Assaulted by Civilian JTF and Army.

Wisdom Hashimu, a 13-year-old boy, killed himself after he claimed that a military and members of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Ungwan Maigero community in Kaduna State's Chikun Local Government Area had assaulted him.

The victim, who was residing on Lafiya Sarki Street in the same LGA with his parents till his death, is reported to have taken his own life on Thursday, June 6, 2024, after being savagely beaten to a pulp by security personnel and being wrongly accused of stealing N10,000 from a neighbor. 

The 16-year-old neighbor, Hope, allegedly invited her boyfriend, a serving soldier at Bori Camp in Port-Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, and Wisdom, who was writing his Junior Secondary School test, was accused of stealing the money from Hope.

On June 1, 2024, the soldier was said to have dragged Wisdom and Hope's brother—both of whom were accused of taking the money—to the civilian JTF headquarters rather than reporting to the police. 

It was reported that Wisdom had been badly battered in the civilian JTF office to the extent that he could not walk.

After seeking medical attention, he went back home, but on Thursday, June 6, 2024, when his parents were away, Wisdom's lifeless body was discovered hanging on a rope at the back of their compound. This was when things took a terrible turn.

Mr. and Mrs. Saul Hashimu, the boy's heartbroken parents, are requesting justice for their son. 

His distraught father told Channels Television what had transpired and urged the authorities to see to it that justice was done. 

“On 1st of June, 2024, I was in Zaria when I received information that Wisdom was alleged of stealing my neighbour’s daughter (Miss Hope Danladi)’s N10,000. 

I was further told that the Civilian JTF took the law into their own hands and beat Wisdom. But, beyond my wildest imagination, the Civilian JTF only beat Wisdom to a point of coma while Hope’s younger brother was spared and returned home unscathed.

After interrogation at home, her (Hope’s) younger brother confessed to the crime. When he was searched, N9000 was found in his pocket, and he said he had spent N1000 already. 

I was also told that Hope called her boyfriend, Segun Samson, who identified himself to the Civilian JTF in Dokaji Street in Narayi as a serving soldier at Bori Camp in Port-Harcourt after brandishing his ID Card for validation.

This was after Hope called Samson, and he bundled Wisdom and Hope’s younger brother to the civilian JTF office, and he prevailed on the Civilian JTF to discipline the boys

My son was severely beaten by the Civilian JTF to the point that he was unable to walk. We took him to the hospital where he received medical attention while we reported the matter to the police station

On Thursday, while I was away, I was told to rush back home, that my son was dead, that he hanged himself with a rope at the back of our compound

Though my son is dead, I can’t question God. He is gone. But I want the authorities to ensure that justice is served, and those that brutalised my son be brought to book. This will serve as a deterrent to others.”

In the meantime, the Kaduna State Police Command announced that it was aware of the occurrence and that a thorough investigation had been launched in order to guarantee that justice would be done and that the people responsible for Wisdom's death would be found and brought to justice.