Soldier Kills Commander, Two Others, Self in Sokoto

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

An officer of the Nigeria Army, Lieutenant Sam Oladapo has been shot dead allegedly  by  Lance Corporal Nwanbodo  Chinoso, who also shot two other soldiers including the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Nigeria Army Forward Base Operation Units in Raba local government are of Sokoto State.

A Nigeria Army source, who confided in  THISDAY,  said the deviant soldiers crept into the room of the deceased Lieutenant and shot him dead.

,He thereafter shot the RSM of the unit Sergeant Iliyasu Inusa and a Private Soldier Attahiru Muhammad before he took his own life.

The remains of the deceased officers and three soldiers have been deposited at the mogue at the Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army  said  it had instituted investigations into the unfortunate incident.

In a statement by the Director of Army Public Relations Brig Onyema Nwachukwu said the sad and rare incident occurred in the evening of Sunday 5 March 2023 at the FOB, where troops were deployed for internal security operations.

He noted that the circumstances leading to the incident could not be immediately ascertained  as the soldier who killed his colleagues also shot himself immediately.

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, where he commiserated with the troops for losing their colleagues in such an unfortunate situation.

The GOC  urged them to be their brother’s keepers and report any anomaly observed amongst their colleagues in order to forestall such incidents. 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. It is envisaged that the findings of the BOI will help forestall such ugly and bizarre occurrence in the future.