The family of a 24-year-old tailor, Abubakar Adam Abdullahi, is demanding justice after accusing police of killing him in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna during nationwide protests against the high cost of living.

Local police deny playing any role in his death, and a spokesman for the governor of Kaduna state says they are not aware of any deaths resulting from protests there.

This is contested by rights group Amnesty International – which says three people have been killed in Kaduna alone.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Abubakar’s brother Ismail told the BBC the tailor was shot in the chest by police on Thursday before dying in Yusuf Dantsoho hospital.

“All we want is justice for our brother,” says Ismail.

Across Nigeria – in the five days since the demonstrations began – police say at least seven people have been killed, 700 have been arrested, and elite officers have arrested one of the protest leaders.

Despite warnings by President Bola Tinubu, thousands of Nigerians joined the protests – worried about the escalating cost of living, and inspired by the success of young Kenyans whose rallies have won key concessions from government.

The protesters included Abubakar. The youngest of 14 children, he was living at his parents’ home in Kaduna with big ambitions for his career, and hoping to start a family of his own.

But rising costs kept pushing that future further from his reach, and he decided to join the protests.

“As a tailor, money for the materials he was using had all gone up – food too – and he also has to pay increased rent. Everyone is affected by this economic crisis,” says Ismail.

Video footage filmed at the time of Abubakar’s death seems to shows him in a group of young men shouting animatedly at police before trying to run away as if being chased.

According to Abubakar’s brother, who has spoken to witnesses, they were close to the office of the governor of Kaduna, Uba Sani, at the time. Abubakar then told his friends he was tired and wanted to go home.

Moments later police opened fire on the protesters, witnesses say.

Video footage then shows Abubakar falling to the ground. His friends can be heard shouting “officer stop” and “they shot him” in the Hausa language.

“It was shocking when we got a call to come to the hospital after he was shot because we know he wasn’t violent,” Ismail tells the BBC.

He cannot comprehend how this could happen to the kind, caring and hard-working brother he knew.

“We later saw videos of him sitting or talking to friends during the protest which also proved he wasn’t misbehaving,” he adds.

Kaduna state governor spokesman Mohammed Lawal Shehu says the reason why they have not acknowledged any death from the protest is because they are relying on the police – who say they were no deaths.

“According to the police there wasn’t any death from the protests and we rely on them for information.”

Amnesty International is calling for an investigation into the deaths of 23 protesters it says have been killed across the country, including three in Kaduna.

Ismail says his family will not rest until they get answers about his brother’s death.

“He was in high spirits when he went out with his friends to the protest. He was concerned by the state of things in the country.” (BBC)

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