The shooting of Amadu Yussif, 15, on Saturday in Walewale in the North-East region, generated tensions in the municipality.
Information available on 3news.com indicates that the victim in the company of friends was holding a disco party at Next Level Club, a popular entertainment center in Walewale, in violation of the government’s directive to close all pubs and nightclubs.
Sources say police gathered intelligence and rounded up the area around 11:30 p.m.
In an interview with 3news.com, City Police Commander DSP Paul Peter Akabati confirmed the incident but denied that it was the police who shot the boy.
According to the commander, he received a report on the ongoing party around midnight on Saturday and therefore deployed his men to go and order everyone to leave.
He said those outside the entertainment center who saw the police fled, but others started throwing stones at them.
This, according to the commander, alerted people inside the entertainment center that police were nearby.
So they came out and tried to escape from their different houses but the young man who was shot ran and climbed a tree and as the police tried to retreat from the stones being thrown at them, a gunshot was heard.
Police responded by firing two warning shots as well, DSP Akabati said.
This, he said, eased the tension, but later learned that someone had been injured.
Police rushed the victim to Walewale Municipal Hospital and he was admitted and treated in the emergency department.
The commander further revealed that ammunition entered the victim’s buttocks, which he said was due to the victim climbing the tree.
DSP Akabati revealed that healthcare workers would take an x-ray on him on Monday, June 8 to find out the level of injury.
He revealed that an investigation had been opened into the case.
The event organizers were invited to participate in the surveys. However, no arrests have been made to date.
The city commander says he is not sure at this time which bullet hit the boy until investigations are finalized.
Meanwhile, the victim accused the police of being behind the act.
According to Amadu Yussif, he fled as soon as the police arrived but was shot in the buttocks.
He said he didn’t know it was a bullet until he tries to stand up and feel the pain and touch his butt and see the blood.
He also refuted police claims that he tried to climb a tree and was shot.