New Telegraph

Borno: Soldier kills lieutenant over pass

A soldier on Wednesday shot and killed a Lieutenant at the headquarters of the 202 Battalion of 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, Borno State. Thesoldierisinvolvedinthe counter-insurgencyoperations. Sources said the soldier might have killed his superior for allegedly refusing to grant him a pass to visit his family.

The soldier was said to have been due for a pass, having spent many months in the frontline battling Boko Haram and other terrorists. On the other hand, the lieutenant, whose identity was yet to be disclosed by the Army authorities, was said to be speaking with his wife on the phone, when he was shot from the back. The Army has since confirmed the tragic incident, saying the soldier had suffered depression, as at the time of the shooting.

New Telegraph had exclusively reported the growing cases of depression among fighting troops in the North-East, a development that had compelled the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to deploy psychologists and other experts to the field, for counselling purposes.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed the ugly development in a statement yesterday. He said investigation had since commenced, with the suspected killer being detained. Musa said calm had returned to the Battalion, after the shooting. He said: “A trooper of the Nigerian Army serving in 202 Battalion of 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Bama, Borno State, went beserk about 10:30a.m., on the 29th of July 2020 and fired at an officer (a Subaltern) which led to his death.

“The incident happened when the soldier approached the officer who was standing in front of the Unit’s Headquarters making a phone call. The soldier has been arrested, is in custody undergoing investigation. General situation in the unit is calm.” According to him, the remains of the lieutenant have been evacuated to 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital. He added: “Investigation into the case has since been instituted to determine the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident.

Read Previous

Bullion van: Policemen’s killers won’t go unpunished – Umahi

Read Next

Monarch’s murder: Troops nab gang leader in Benue

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *