Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killing of 15- to 16-year-old Umar Muhammad, popularly known as Gajiye, at a Maulid celebration in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
The human rights organisation alleged that Umar was shot dead at close range by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the rank of Superintendent of Police during an incident at the Islamic religious gathering.
According to eyewitness accounts cited by Amnesty International, the DPO and his team initially visited the venue following complaints about what they described as “loud and disturbing noise” from loudspeakers used during the annual Maulid celebration.
The organisers reportedly complied with the police directive by immediately disconnecting the loudspeakers.
However, the DPO allegedly returned shortly afterwards with a contingent of police officers, who chased people away from the gathering while firing shots indiscriminately.
Umar was reportedly hit by a bullet and died at the scene, leaving him in a pool of blood.
Amnesty International urged the Nigeria Police Force to launch an immediate, impartial and thorough investigation into the incident, insisting that all officers found responsible must be held accountable through fair legal proceedings.
The organisation said the alleged killing raised serious concerns about police conduct and the persistent failure to ensure accountability for human rights violations in Nigeria.
It warned that incidents involving alleged unlawful killings by security personnel, when left uninvestigated or unpunished, could deepen public distrust in law enforcement institutions and undermine the rule of law.
Amnesty International further criticised what it described as a pattern of human rights abuses committed with impunity, arguing that the police, whose primary responsibility is to protect lives and property, must not become a source of danger to the communities they are mandated to serve.
The organisation called for accountability and respect for human rights, stressing that the circumstances surrounding Umar’s death must be established and that anyone found culpable should face justice.
As of the time of the statement, the allegations against the police officers had yet to be independently established through a formal investigation.
