Nigeria: Army Probes Soldier's Killing of Unit Commander, Others in Sokoto

7 March 2023

Abuja — The Nigerian Army has instituted investigations into the unfortunate incident of a soldier who killed his colleagues and himself at Forward Operations Base, FOB, Rabbah, Sokoto State, last weekend.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening at the FOB, where troops were deployed for internal security operations.

Circumstances leading to the incident could not be immediately ascertained, as the soldier, who killed his colleagues also shot himself and terminated his own life.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division Nigerian Army, who also doubles as the Commander, Joint Task Force Northwest, Operation Hadarin Daji, Major General Godwin Mutkut and other senior officers have visited the location, and commiserated with troops for losing their colleagues in such an unfortunate situation.

A statement by Brigadier Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, Director, Army Public Relations, quoted the GOC as urging troops to be their brother's keepers and report any anomaly observed among their colleagues in order to forestall a similar incident.

"He also encouraged them to remain calm and committed in the discharge of their duties. The authorities of the Nigerian Army are deeply concerned about this unusual and ugly development and have, therefore, instituted a Board of Inquiry, BOI, to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident," he said.

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