Thursday, March 28, 2024

Army dismisses two soldiers over murder of Yobe cleric, hands over to police for prosecution

The 241 RECCE Battalion of the Nigerian Army on Saturday dismissed John Gabriel and Lance Cpl Adamu Gideon who allegedly killed an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Goni Aisami, in Yobe.

Lt. Col. Ibrahim Osabo, Ag Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Nguru, Yobe, disclosed this to newsmen shortly after the suspects were de-kited in Nguru.

The the suspects were reduced from Lance Corporal to private soldiers before they were dismissed.

“You are all aware of what happened a week ago where the two service personnel of this unit went out and committed atrocity and the Nigerian Police personnel arrested them.

Thanks to Almighty Allah we are able to do the needful. We initiated military police investigation together with the Nigerian Police.

“The outcome of the investigation gave us the latitude to sanction the suspects accordingly and they are now officially dismissed regiment from the Nigerian Army,” Osabo said.

He added that the dismissed men would be handed officially to the Nigeria Police to face civil prosecution.

“We are taking them to our Sector Headquarters in Damaturu, the Sector Commander will then officially hand them over to the Nigeria Police to face civil prosecution. They no longer represent Nigerian Army,” he added.

Commanding Officer condemned their actions and said it was not a true reflection of the Nigerian Army personnel.

“I want to assure you that we are law abiding citizens and we are ready to dispense justice on anybody who is found wanting, irrespective of position or rank,” he also said.

DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the Police Command spokesperson, on Tuesday announced that police operatives apprehended the suspects in connection with the Sheik’s murder on August 16.

President Muhammadu Buhari had strongly condemned what he called “the unprovoked and cold-blooded murder of a Yobe State-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Goni Aisami, by a callous soldier he had offered a lift as confirmed by the Police.”

Reacting to the incident on Tuesday, President Buhari said that “this barbaric murder of a compassionate man by a soldier he had assisted has no place in our training as soldiers, and it negates the entire ethos of military life which is anchored on discipline and respect for the sanctity of innocent lives.”

According to the President, “as the Commander-in- Chief, I am personally outraged by this criminal and wicked act by a law enforcement official trained to protect life.

“By our training, we are guided by a code of conduct that frowns on this kind of reckless and criminal act. It is not in our character and training to put innocent citizens in harm’s way. Of course, the action of this soldier is an isolated incident involving an individual, but it is capable of staining the collective image of our military.”

“This incident is capable of making our fellow citizens to be fearful of assisting soldiers, thereby destroying the bond of trust between our military and the civilians.

“I call on the military authorities to punish the perpetrators of this heinous crime without delay, and flush out other elements with such criminal tendencies,” President Buhari added.

He condoled with Yobe State Government, people of the State and family of the victim of this tragedy.

The Police Command in Yobe said on Tuesday that it had arrested two soldiers over their alleged involvement in the murder of Sheikh Goni Aisami.

Dungus Abdulkarim, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and the command’s spokesman, announced the arrest of the suspects on Tuesday in Damaturu.

Abdulkarim said that on August 19, police operatives apprehended the suspects, Lance Cpl John Gabriel and Lance Cpl Adamu Gideon in connection with the Sheik’s murder.

He said both soldiers were from 241 RECCE Battalion, Nguru, Yobe.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the cleric who was traveling from Kano State gave a ride to Gabriel, the principal suspect.

However, on their way to Jaji-Maji, a village along Gashua town, where the soldier said he was going to, he allegedly told the deceased that there was an unusual noise at the rear tire, which made Aisami to stop.

It was when the cleric came down to check the tires that Gabriel allegedly brought out his rifle concealed in a camp bed and shot him to death.

He then dragged the body and hid it in the bush and tried to take off with the deceased’s car, which, however, failed to start.

The principal suspect called Gideon, the second suspect, was on phone to assist in towing the vehicle.

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