BREAKING: Crisis in Southern Kaduna as soldier shoots boy dead

- Three people have been reportedly killed following a rift between soldiers and civilians in Kaduna 

- The fracas emerged after a soldier reportedly killed a young boy in the Southern region of the state 

- It is said that the victim committed no crime and was killed unjustly 

- There are fears that the situation may degenerate into further religious violence 

Emerging reports suggest that no fewer than three persons have been killed and several others injured after a soldier allegedly killed a civilian in Kaduna state's southern region. It was earlier reported that a soldier has just shot a boy to death in front of Command Secondary School in Command Junction By Sabo Express Road, Kaduna. The incident happened around Television junction in the volatile state. According to an n eye witness, Joshua Ayo, the boy was packing sand in front of the Military Secondary School called Command Secondary School when the soldier ordered him to stop.

Ayo added that, "the boy who is a Yoruba Christian pleaded with the soldier to allow him pack the sand to get something to eat today, since he was packing inside gutter that belongs to nobody. The soldier "got angry and shouted, 'Who the hell is this bloody civilian to argue with me?' and the boy was approaching him when the soldier again said, 'And you advancing towards me?' and before one could blink, "a gunshot was heard and people around ran away, then another gunshot that attracted people from other places," Ayo narrated. He further explained that it was when other people started running down that those who were running away turned back to join them.

"On getting back to the spot, the soldier was nowhere to be found: we only met the lifeless body of the boy in the pool of his own blood stone dead." He concluded. According to Arise news 247, the issues is beginning to degenerate into a religious and tribal fracas. All efforts to get the story from the side of the military was abortive as Christian youths have gathered massively in front of the gate of the Command Secondary School and barricaded the entrance demanding that the soldier who murdered the boy in cold blood should be brought out for jungle justice.

Also the roads in front of Command Secondary School leading to Sabo, Romi and Gonin-Gora have been barricaded restricting vehicular movement. As of the time this report, truck loads of fully armed police officers had arrived the scene. However, the youths were unruffled as they advanced towards the Police asking them to start killing them. One of them raised his voice and said that if any other civilian goes down then Kaduna will be on fire and some of the policemen will not escape alive. Angry youths are said to have taken the corpse to the front of Command and blocked the road. Things went awry as soldiers reportedly opened fire on the protesters, killing two on the spot. When contacted, the Kaduna state police command PPRO, DSP Aliyu Usman confirmed the incident, but failed to give details of what really happened.