My father struggled for years to train my brother but soldier’s bullet took him away — Sibling

Suleiman, the elder brother of Isma’il Ishaq, a 24-year-old final-year student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, who was killed by a stray bullet from military personnel during a land dispute, speaks with AYOOLA OLASUPO about the death of his younger brother, how it has left a painful void in the family, and their call for justice

How did you receive the news that your younger brother had been hit by a stray bullet?

The news did not come from an outsider per se. I was sitting with family members at their new site because they had just relocated. It was around 4 pm or 5 pm. My younger sister, who was selling wara (soybean cake) around the street, was the one who called Mum and reported that Isma’il had been shot.

I was sitting outside when our mum shouted from inside. The shout made me anxious, and I asked her what the problem was. She reported that my younger brother had been shot.

I immediately rushed to the street to see what was happening. That was the moment I lost it all. I was running and trying to reach the scene. But within me, I knew something must be wrong because Isma’il was not the kind of person who was always found in situations like that.

He always distanced himself from places where violence was taking place. I doubted the report and hoped it was not true. I managed to get there, but some women stopped me and told me not to approach because security and military officers were still around. They were trying to chase everyone away.

What happened at the scene?

Isma’il was rushed to the hospital. He was still alive at that time. I was holding him very closely because they had to perform surgery to save him. The gunshot wound was clearly visible because the doctor told us that he had lost two ribs.

It was unfortunate to see that he was still alive while the operation was going on. I kept watching for any possibility that he would survive. I kept praying, crying, and trying to console him. Even though he could not speak, I held him closely, trying to see if he was breathing.

It was like that until around 6:40pm, when they called me to go and observe the Maghrib salat (prayer during sunset). So, I went to the mosque to pray. Before leaving, I handed him over to our maternal aunt. She took over from me and stayed with him while the operation continued.

He had lost a lot of blood, including internal blood loss. There are many things to talk about because he had been suffering. While I was holding him, he was not making any sound. He was not talking; he was only breathing, and that was the only thing I could notice. He was not responding or even looking at me.

So, I went to the mosque, and when I returned, I was informed that he had died. My aunt and my best friend were crying outside. When I asked what happened, they could not respond to me. I noticed that something was wrong. It was around 7:06pm. I tried to reach him so I could bid him farewell. I was eventually allowed to do that.

What happened to your elder brother who also went to the farm?

During this period, the eldest brother was also in a hospital bed because he became unconscious when he saw Ismail’s gunshot wound. After he saw the gunshot wound and how his younger brother was losing blood, he also lost consciousness.

They had to give him medication. I was the one who tried to stay strong and remained with Isma’il throughout. It was not until I went to the mosque to pray that he died.

What actually happened that led to the gunshots?

The incident was connected to a land dispute. It is very unfortunate because the land dispute was not related to Isma’il in any way. He was not involved and had nothing to do with the dispute. He was not part of the owners of the land. He was simply a victim of circumstances.

Before the incident happened, we met at the family house. We just glanced at each other from afar and smiled. Even when I was later told that he had been shot, I could not believe it.

What happened was that a particular woman bought a piece of land on the street. She is politically connected and influential. She is also relatively affluent. She was trying to use her political influence to harass and intimidate people, including members of our family.

In one way or another, we are related to the woman. She bought a piece of land on the street and was trying to claim the frontage of the land she bought. This has been going on for about a year.

What was the traditional ruler’s response to the matter?

The traditional leader of the community tried to calm her down and explained that the particular piece of land she was trying to claim did not belong to her. It is unfortunate because the woman and the traditional ruler are also related.

The traditional ruler is a direct uncle to her and to me too. We are all related. So, the community leaders and other influential members of the community tried to stop her from claiming the land.

When she tried to claim the land by all means possible, the community leaders and elders tried to stop her. That was when she invited military personnel to come and clear the place. The day she gave that order was when the incident happened.

The military personnel arrived, and when tear gas was fired, everybody ran away. They ran towards a nearby house. It was around that area that the officer started shooting. Nobody was able to save my brother. No one even knew he had been shot until he shouted that he had been shot.

There was blood everywhere. That was when he was rushed to the hospital. The point I am making is that Isma’il was not involved in the land dispute. He had nothing to do with what was happening at the scene. He only went there to buy something, and this happened to him.

• Groups caution against blaming NSCDC boss over Niger deaths
• Anambra shuts market after palace burnt, five killed
• One killed, many injured in Anambra communal clash

Where and when did this incident happen?

The incident happened on September 17, 2026, at Charity, Wawa, and he was buried the next morning at Wawa Ward, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

How old was Isma’il?

Isma’il celebrated his 24th birthday on July 29. He was a final-year student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State

How is your family, especially your parents, coping with the loss?

It kills, especially when someone very dear to you is gone. My father was very close to Isma’il because of the way he lived. Isma’il was also very close to him. My father has been trying to be strong, but he has had sleepless nights. All of us have had sleepless nights.

Since then, I have been staying around them, trying to comfort them and encourage them. I think the only way I can help my father cope is by making sure that whenever there is farm work, I am available to render my service, with the help of others.

If I am not available, I should support him with whatever I can to ensure that everything is done without putting too much burden on him. My father has three male children, and Isma’il was the most supportive among us. None of us could work as tirelessly as he did.

Farm work is very difficult. You have to do it with all your heart. Whenever he said he was tired, just believe that he was actually tired. Unlike my own case and that of my elder brother, who sometimes give excuses, Isma’il was always available. So, if I want my father to have some peace of mind, I think the only option for me is to find a way to support him with the farm work.

Talking about the resources they spent to ensure that Isma’il got to this stage in life, my father has been without a salary for two years because of issues concerning his work. He is a government worker, but he has been without a salary for two years.

It has only been by the grace of God that he has been able to support all of us. That is what keeps repeating in my mind after we left the hospital: How can he survive this?

My father had been struggling to ensure that this young man finished his programme successfully. He was a very good son. If there is any support my father can get, particularly with the farm work, and all the farming activities can be taken care of, I think he will find some relief.

I am also thinking about my mother. If I can always be around her to give her words of encouragement, I think she will find some relief, but that is not always possible. I have to find a way to support them through farm work and from my own place of work.

I am a classroom teacher in one of the private schools here in the community, so you can see that it is not easy. There is no way I can divide myself and sit with them all the time.

What kind of justice is the family seeking for Isma’il?

First of all, the best justice can only be done by God Almighty. He is fully aware of everything, and we keep praying to Him. He is the only one who can justly handle this situation. But we should also use our wisdom and follow the law. We want the woman involved to be arrested and detained so that she can answer for her actions.

The painful part is that she has never experienced what it means to raise a child.

She does not know the pain of taking care of a child for 24 years. The officer who shot Isma’il should also be brought to justice.

The security agency was telling us that we should forgive and forget. That was what they said. When they called the attention of the officer-in-charge who allegedly shot my brother, they told us that we should forgive and forget.

So, let the officer involved be arrested and detained. Let the woman also be arrested and brought to justice. I am not saying they should be killed because we are not operating under Islamic Sharia in this country, but there should be serious punishment according to the law.

There should also be compensation for the family, so that my parents can find some relief, at least for some time.

As an elder brother of the late Isma’il, what can you tell us about him?

Isma’il was the third child in the family. I am the second, so we have an elder brother who is the first child of the family. We are four in number. Regardless of the number of children in a family, there is always going to be a special trait or character in every one of them.

My elder brother and I often quarrel or misunderstand each other, which is usual. But what makes it unusual is that neither of us ever quarrelled with Isma’il. For as long as I can remember, he has been that special person among us.

He was the youngest among us, but he was always the eldest when it came to matters like this. Whenever an issue came up between me and my elder brother, he was always there to calm the situation and make sure everything was resolved amicably.