15-YEAR-OLD BOY SHOT DEAD AS POLICE OFFICERS DISRUPT MAULID GATHERING IN BORNO AFTER DPO COMPLAINED ABOUT NOISE

A 15-year-old boy has been shot dead after police officers disrupted a Maulid celebration in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, following a complaint about noise by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area.

The incident occurred on October 18, 2026, leaving several people injured and sound equipment destroyed, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE COMPLAINT

According to community sources who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, the DPO had visited the gathering earlier that evening with his driver and a police orderly identified as Abdullahi.

The source said the organiser and his brother greeted the DPO, who complained that the sound from the gathering was too loud.

“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 said.

The DPO did not order them to stop the celebration but asked them to reduce the volume. The organiser responded by switching off and bringing down two high-frequency speakers, while the remaining speakers continued playing at a reduced volume.

The DPO remained at the venue for about 40 to 50 minutes before leaving peacefully .

THE RETURN

However, the source alleged that police officers later returned to the area in two vehicles with their headlights switched off.

“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 said . The source alleged that during the shooting, a 15-year-old boy attending the religious gathering was shot in the neck 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 .

Several other people sustained injuries, with some suffering broken bones. The officers also allegedly took away mobile phones, speakers, sound equipment and other belongings.

THE CALL FOR JUSTICE

The community sources called on the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Nazir Abdulmajid, to ensure a transparent investigation into the incident, including the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death and the alleged conduct of the officers involved.

They also called for appropriate disciplinary action against any officers found culpable and compensation for the family of the deceased boy.

THE POLICE SILENCE

Efforts to reach the Borno State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Kenneth Daso, for comments were unsuccessful.

He neither answered calls to his mobile phone nor responded to a text message sent to him.

WHY IT MATTERS

The killing of a 15-year-old boy at a religious gathering is a tragedy that demands answers.

According to the accounts, the organisers complied with the DPO’s request to reduce the volume of the sound.

The police left peacefully.

Then they returned, cut the power, and opened fire.If those accounts are accurate, the officers involved used lethal force against worshippers who had already complied with their instructions.

That is not law enforcement. It is brutality.

The Borno State Police Command has a duty to investigate this incident transparently. The family of the deceased boy deserves justice.

ADVERTISEMENT

And the community of Banki deserves to know that the police are there to protect them, not to terrorise them.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the police have not commented. The investigation has not been announced.