Kaduna LG Elections: Military officer’s stray bullet kills 9-year-old

The Local Government Election held in Kaduna state claimed a young innocent life after a stray bullet fired by a military officer killed a nine-year-old identified as Zainab Bala-Umar.

According to reports, the incident happened at Gwanki Ward, Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna state.

An eyewitness, Alhaji Yahaya Gwanki told Daily Trust that the stray bullet was discharged from the military personnel in an effort to disperse the crowd after the soldier was invited by a former chairman of Makarfi local government who is also the APC candidate in the election.

The eyewitness said the APC candidate, Alhaji Kabir Maiyere had gone to one of the polling units under Fadamar Gwanki and while having a conversation  with an electoral officer over some challenges of the e-voting machine, some youths had to start to shout, ‘ba ma so, ba ma so” meaning “we don’t want.”

“Maiyere then invited soldiers who shot in the air and in the process, the girl was hit and died,” Gwanki said.

However, Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna State Command, ASP Mohammed Jalige said military personnel were not allowed to be at the polling units.

He said the police would arrest the suspects, investigate the matter and brief the press.