Army begins investigation into soldier’s killing of commander, colleagues in Sokoto

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Army Headquarters in Abuja, said it has set up a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing of an officer and two soldiers by a fellow soldier at Forward Operations Base (FOB) Rabbah, in Sokoto State.

It expressed the hope that the outcome of the BOI would help forestall such ugly and bizarre occurrence in the future.

This is just as the Nigerian Army has commiserated with the officers and soldiers of the battalion and their families over the sad incident.

Director, Army Public Relations Brigadier, General Onyema Nwachukwu, who made this known, said already 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 to commiserate with the troops and 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.

Nwachukwu in a statement issued Monday night over the incident reads; “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. The sad and rare incident occured in the evening of Sunday 5 March 2023 at the FOB, where troops were deployed for Internal Security Operations.

“The circumstances leading to the incident could not be immediately ascertained, as the soldier who killed his colleagues also shot himself immediately, terminating 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, where he commiserated with troops for loosing their colleagues in such an unfortunate situation. He 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.”