Families of three young men who died in a grenade blast question police officer’s account and say they want the world to know ‘the truth of the matter and what really happened’.

The families of three young men who died in a grenade blast are demanding justice and have called on the Borno State government to conduct a full investigation into their deaths.

The youths died on Thursday, August 1, at the start of the 10-day protest against the worsening cost of living crisis.

The father of one of the dead said the youths were not taking part in the protest and claimed they were merely innocent bystanders caught up in the violence.

A video showing the grenade attack went viral on social media platforms shortly after the blast.

Ahamadu Garba, Mammadu Hassan, and Anas Mohammed were having breakfast at the Kime and Sons Filling Station at the Bolori Junction in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, when a car pulled up and a man allegedly threw a grenade in their direction.

The three young men, who worked as guards at the filling station, died instantly. Four others were rushed to hospital and are receiving treatment.

Garba and Mammadu’s uncle, Umar Ali, said he was at the filling station when the grenade exploded.

“I was inside the filling station at the far side when the grenade was thrown. Even though I was on the other side, I saw what happened.

“Ahamadu, Mammadu and Anas, a nephew of the owner of the filling station, were sitting with four other youths having breakfast.

“They were eating noodles and chatting. They were minding their own business. They were not taking part in any protests.

“Next thing, a white Hilux vehicle full of men wearing security uniforms pulled up and parked near the youths. A man dressed in black and wearing a turban got out of the vehicle and threw a grenade in their direction. The other men fired tear gas canisters.

“Ahamadu, Mammadu and Anas died instantly. The other four sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to hospital for treatment. They are still in hospital.”

Ali said he was shocked when he saw the police statement that claimed members of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), more commonly referred to as Boko Haram, carried out the attack.

“The statement by the police was not correct,” he said.

“I was beyond heartbroken. At first, I could not comprehend what was happening. When the grenade exploded, I was shocked. It was very painful to witness such a horrific thing.

“I had to arrange to take the corpses of my nephews home. We had to remove several shards of the grenade from what was left of their bodies. The stomach of one of my nephews was ripped apart. It was extremely distressing.”

Ali said the family wanted justice.

“We want the government to carry out a full investigation and tell the world the truth of the matter; what really happened.”

Malam Hassan, Mammadu’s father, said he was on business in the Niger Republic when the incident happened.

“I trade between Nigeria and Niger, so I travel between the two countries constantly. But my family has been living with my brother in the Bulama Fatori settlement in Maiduguri for the past 10 years.

“I got the news of the death of my son and nephew shortly after the blast. My brother phoned me to tell me. I immediately left Niger. I tried to get back to Maiduguri as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, I was not able to get back in time to see their dead bodies. By the time I arrived, the last rites had already been performed.”

The bereaved father said he had not heard anything about the deaths of his son and nephew from authorities.

“Up until now, no one has told me how they were killed. My brother is the only one who has said anything. I want the police to tell me exactly what happened. I want a full account of how and why they were killed.”

Hajja Kaka Usman, the grandmother of the deceased, said: “Ahamadu and Mammadu were sitting around at home before they decided to go out for breakfast. They went to Kime and Sons Filling Station where they worked.

“When they left home, they were in good spirits. They were laughing and joking. We were told that they were sitting on a bench at the filling station. They were not taking part in the protests that were happening in other parts of the metropolis. The protesters from Baga Road had not even reached the filling station.

“Soon after they got their food, a car stopped right in front of the station. Someone got out of the vehicle and threw a grenade. Ahamadu, Mammadu and Anas, who was the filling station owner’s nephew, died on the spot. Four others are still in hospital. One of the injured is another of my grandsons. They are responding to treatment, but I don’t know when they will be discharged.

“We don’t know who killed my grandsons or why. Some people came to us and showed us pictures. It was most disturbing. We buried them at 5pm on Thursday.”

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI: