A 13-year-old boy named Wisdom Hashimu has committed suicide after allegedly being brutally beaten by a soldier and members of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF).
The teenager was found dead on Friday, June 6, 2024, hanging in his family’s compound, days after the alleged assault.
Wisdom, who was preparing for his junior secondary school examinations, was accused of stealing a sum of N10,000 from a 16-year-old neighbour known as Hope, who reportedly invited her boyfriend, one Segun Samson, a serving soldier from Bodi Camp in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Recounting the incident, Wisdom’s father, Saul Hashimu, stated, ” On 1st of June, 2024, I was in Zaria when I received information that Wisdom was alleged of stealing my neighbour’s daughter’s (Miss Hope Danladi)’s N1000,
“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 Bodi 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.”
The deceased father added that Wisdom was later taken to the hospital to receive medical attention after he was released from the soldier custody and the family reported the matter to the police station.
However, Hashimu stated that when he was away, he got a call instructing him to rush back home and that his son had hanged himself with a rope at the back of the compound.
“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.”
However, Hashimu stated that, even though his son is no longer alive and cannot question God, he wants the authorities to ensure that justice is served and those who brutalised Wisdom are held accountable, adding that this will serve as a deterrent to others.
