By Yusuf Boluwatife
A nine-year-old girl identified as Zainab, on Saturday, was reportedly killed by a stray bullet at Gwanki Ward, Makarfi Local Government of Kaduna State during the ongoing local government elections in the state.
Daily Trust reported that an eye witness, Alhaji Yahaya Gwanki said the stray bullet was discharged by military personnel in efforts to disperse the crowd.
The soldiers, according to him, were invited by a former chairman of Makarfi Local Government who is also the APC candidate in the election.
The APC candidate, Alhaji Kabir Maiyere, was said to have gone to one of the polling units under Fadamar Gwanki. While having a conversation with an electoral officer over some challenges of the e-voting machine, some youths started 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 she died,” the eyewitness was quoted as saying.
However, Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna State Command, ASP Mohammed Jalige said military personnel were not allowed to be at the polling units, adding that the police would arrest the suspects, investigate the matter and brief the press.
