A Nigerian soldier has been accused of fatally shooting Balogun Sultan, a National Diploma II student of Yaba College of Technology, during a security operation in Lagos.

Press learnt that the incident has plunged his family, friends, and classmates into deep mourning.

Until his death, Sultan was enrolled in the school’s distance learning programme. What was meant to be an ordinary examination day reportedly turned into a nightmare.

“We only come to school for examinations as our course is usually online. Before examinations, we would have two weeks of physical lecture. Once we are done with the examination, we do not come to school again,” one student explained, his voice trembling as he struggled to process the loss.

Another source described Sultan’s routine journey home on Tuesday, a journey he had taken several times before without incident.

“The victim was going home when the incident happened. He stays on the Lagos Island. He takes a vehicle from WAEC bus stop, and from there he would take another vehicle to the Island to get to his house. He was going home when the incident happened,” the student said.

The WAEC bus stop, near the office of the West African Examinations Council, is usually filled with students chatting, commuters bargaining with drivers and traders calling out to passersby.

On that day, however, the atmosphere reportedly shifted from routine bustle to chaos and fear.

“After the examination, we submitted a particular assignment in Research Methods, which was why we stayed back in school for a little while before he set out for home,” a classmate said.

Some students now say they cannot shake the painful thought that if they had all left together, perhaps the outcome might have been different.

A source told news reporters that the student was struck by stray bullets allegedly fired by soldiers who had moved into the area to quell a cult clash.

“There was a report that there would be a cult clash in the area and the soldiers came to quell it. Unfortunately, Balogun was going home at same time and he was shot by one of the soldiers,” the source said.

Witnesses described a scene of chaos, gunshots ringing out, people running for cover, and screams filling the air. In a video, Sultan appeared drenched in blood as good Samaritans frantically tried to save him. Some reportedly pressed pieces of clothing against his wounds, praying he would hold on.

“He was rushed to the military hospital in Yaba after he was shot but he didn't survive the incident,” the source added.

He was taken to the Military Hospital, Yaba, where doctors reportedly performed chest surgery in a desperate effort to save his life. Despite the attempts, he eventually gave up the ghost.

Friends have described Sultan as calm, respectful, and focused. They said he kept to himself, avoided trouble, and was excited about completing his programme and moving on to the next phase of his life.

“He was just a quiet guy trying to finish school and go home,” one friend said. “Now his parents will never see him walk through their door again.”

For his classmates, the grief is mixed with disbelief and anger. Lecture halls that once echoed with conversations about exams and assignments are now filled with hushed tones and stunned silence.

Some students say they are afraid; others say they are heartbroken that a young life was cut short in circumstances they believe could have been avoided.