Firdaus Obiremi
A 15-year-old boy has allegedly been shot dead by police officers during a Maulid celebration in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, f¹ollowing a reported complaint by the area’s Divisional Police Officer over noise from the religious gathering.
The incident, which reportedly occurred on October 18, 2026, also left several people injured, with community sources accusing the officers of assaulting worshippers, firing tear gas and live ammunition, and destroying sound equipment and other belongings.
The allegations were reported by SaharaReporters, which quoted community members who spoke on condition of anonymity over fears of possible intimidation.
According to one of the sources, the trouble followed an earlier visit by the DPO to the gathering, which was taking place in front of the organiser’s residence.
The source said the police officer arrived with his driver and a police orderly identified as Abdullahi and complained that the volume of the religious recitation was excessive.
“He said the sound was too much and that even when he was in his office at the police station, he felt as if the recitation was taking place inside his room,” the source was quoted as saying.
The source, however, maintained that the DPO did not order the organisers to terminate the gathering but asked them to reduce the volume.
The organiser reportedly responded by switching off and bringing down two high-frequency speakers, while the remaining speakers continued playing at a reduced volume.
The DPO was said to have remained at the venue for between 40 and 50 minutes before leaving without any reported confrontation.
However, the source alleged that police officers later returned in two vehicles with their headlights switched off, triggering a violent confrontation at the gathering.
According to the account, the officers disconnected the electricity supply to the sound system, switched off the generator and began attacking people at the venue.
“They came and cut off the electricity to the sound system and switched off the generator. They started beating people with batons, firing tear gas and later shooting guns,” the source alleged.
The ensuing commotion reportedly sent participants scrambling for safety, with several people sustaining injuries. Some of the injured were said to have suffered broken bones.
The most disturbing allegation concerned the death of a 15-year-old boy who was reportedly attending the religious gathering.
The source alleged that the teenager was shot in the neck during the incident and died at the scene.
“During the shooting, they shot the young man who later died. He was one of the students attending the religious gathering. They shot him right there at the venue, and he fell to the ground,” the source said.
The circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death, including the identity of the officer who allegedly fired the fatal shot, were not independently established in the report.
The community sources further accused the officers of taking away mobile phones, speakers, sound equipment and other belongings during the operation.
One of the sources insisted that the account was based on personal observation, claiming to have witnessed the incident firsthand.
The allegations have prompted calls for an impartial investigation into the conduct of the officers involved and the circumstances that led to the teenager’s death.
The sources appealed to the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Nazir Abdulmajid, to ensure a transparent investigation and take appropriate disciplinary action against any officer found culpable.
They also demanded compensation for the deceased boy’s family.
Meanwhile, efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain the Borno State Police Command’s response were unsuccessful at the time of its report.
The publication said the command’s spokesperson, ASP Kenneth Daso, neither answered calls to his mobile telephone nor responded to a text message seeking his reaction.
The police have yet to provide a response in the report to the allegations of unlawful shooting, assault, destruction of property and the alleged killing of the teenager.
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