Musa Na Allah Sokoto
An officer of the Nigeria Army, Lieutenant Sam Oladapo has been allegedly shot dead by Lance Corporal Nwanbodo Chinoso who also shot two other colleagues including Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of the Nigeria Army Forward Operation Base Units in Rabah local government area of Sokoto state.
Nigeria Army Source who confided to our Correspondent in Sokoto said the suspected Soldier crept into the room of the deceased Lieutenant and shot him dead.
He also thereafter shot dead the RSM of the unit, Sergeant Iliyasu Inusa, and a Private Soldier, Attahiru Muhammad before he took his own life.
The source said the remains of the deceased officer and three soldiers have been deposited at the morgue of the Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
According to a statement from the Army Headquarters signed by Brigadier General Onyema Nwacukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, a board of inquiry has been instituted to investigate the unfortunate incident of a soldier, who killed his colleagues and himself at Forward Operation Base (FOB) in Rabah, Sokoto State.
“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.
“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 of 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 losing 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 calmed and committed to 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 expected that the findings of the BOI will help forestall the ugly and bizarre occurrence of such incidence in the future,” Gen. Mutkut added.