Nigerian Army arrested for killing okada rider in Abia State


Nigerian Army

The Nigerian Army on Saturday announced that a soldier who allegedly shot dead a commercial motorcyclist in Abia State has been arrested.

Ajayi Johnson was identified as the soldier who fatally shot Chimaobi Nwaogu of Umuokereke-Ngwa, Obingwa Local Government Area, on Wednesday.

Mr Johnson, a lance corporal, was said to be away without official leave when the incident occurred near a military base in Ohanze community, according to a spokesperson for the 82 Division, Aliyu Yusuf.

Witnesses accused the soldier of opening fire after Mr Nwaogu allegedly failed to pay a N100 bribe at the military checkpoint.

The development angered Nigerians, being the latest in a string of frequent attacks by soldiers on civilians or other security agents. Last week, soldiers in Edo State reportedly shot dead a member of a local vigilante and freed suspected robbers in his custody. Military authorities there said the victim was mistaken for robbers, according to the Punch newspaper.

Separately, a presidential inquiry is underway after troops of the Nigerian Army shot dead three police officers in Taraba State and freed a suspected kidnapper. The Army said its troops mistook the officers for kidnappers but the Police accused the assailants of “criminality”.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu visited the Abia community on Friday and promised residents that justice would be served in the matter.

“The death of this young man is extremely painful and cannot go in vain,” the governor told the residents. “This is my position and this is the position of the government and people of Abia State.”

People of the community have also demanded the removal of the military checkpoint, saying it had worsened rather than improve their security.

“The soldier has since been arrested and detained. Disciplinary procedure is in progress. He will be tried according to extant military law and if found culpable will be dismissed and handed over to the civil police for prosecution,” Mr Aliyu, a colonel, said in a statement.

“The Nigerian Army deeply regrets this unfortunate incident and prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Northern Governors Grant Conditions For Restructuring: The Governors of 19 Northern States on Thursday clarified that the region was not opposed to the restructuring of the country. Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Borno State, Ibrahim Shettima stated this while speaking at a meeting of the Governors and traditional rulers in Kaduna. Shettima said any restructuring should be done within acceptable criteria and must be fair to all component parts of the country. He said a final decision on the position of the North would be taken on Friday when governors of the 19 Northern States meet again in Kaduna. He said: “It is also my expectation that at the end of this meeting today (yesterday) and, God willing, tomorrow’s (today) meeting of the governors, the forum and our esteemed royal fathers will adopt a consensus position on restructuring of the country that will be reflective of the general overall interest of the people of Northern Nigeria and
Read more

El-Zakzaky demanded ‘a five-star hotel’, Nigerian govt react

Image
The Federal Government has said the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, was violating the bail conditions granted him and his wife by the Federal High Court, Kaduna. Reacting to an audio message in which El-Zakzaky complained about the increased security presence around him in the Indian hospital, FG said El-Zakzaky was “becoming uncontrollable.” A statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Gekpe, described El-Zakzaky’s claim as “a foul cry” that should be disregarded. She explained that the Islamic cleric started displaying “ulterior motives against laid down procedures” when he and his wife had a stopover in Dubai. El-Zakzaky was also said to have rejected the Medanta Hospital, India, which he chose, but instead, wanted to be taken to a five-star hotel. According to Gekpe, the situation got to a stage that the Indian authorities expressed their readiness to return him to
Read more
Image
Donald Trump - Biafra: US breaks silence on growing tension in Nigeria The United States Diplomatic Mission has broken silence on growing tension in the country. In a tweet on Friday, the United States Mission to Nigeria said that it is joining well-meaning Nigerians to sue for peace, calling for an end to violence in the country. “The U.S. Mission to Nigeria joins the calls of Nigerian leaders and citizens across the country for an end to violence.#OutofManyOne,” the Tweet reads. The call by the U.S. Mission came the same day South East governors held an emergency meeting in Enugu to address issues of security in the zone, especially the recent clash between members of IPOB and the military in Abia state. The military had earlier started an operation code-named Operation Python Dance in the South East with the aim of ridding the region of criminals and other activities threatening the security of the area. This has led to an altercation among many with fear of communal
Read more