Information reaching 247ureports.com from sources at the 7 Division of the Nigeria Army in Maiduguri indicate two soldiers serving under the 7 Division may have shot and killed a man in Maiduguri and snatched his vehicle. Available information indicates that the soldiers may face execution if found guilty by an ongoing military court martial.
As gathered from sources, the murdered man [Muhammed Konto Sulum] was a recent university graduate – who according to security officials, was gruesomely shot at close range and dumped by the road side by the soldiers. He studied Physics. Muhammed Konto Sulum, was a final year graduate of physics from the University of Maiduguri.
The deceased had on Thursday evening [November 6, 2014] offered a uniformed soldier a lift at an area called Pompomari in Maiduguri. Unknown to the deceased, the soldier was conniving with another soldier who was stationed ahead. When they approached near where the second soldier stationed, the first private soldier begged Muhammed to also help his colleague whom he said was his friend at the barracks. The two soldiers, after allowing the young man to drive to a point where there was no heavy traffic, ordered him to step down and summarily fired shots at him at close range. The two soldiers took over the car and drove off thinking that the young graduate of physics had died.
Loading ...The soldiers took the stolen car to their barracks to show off to their colleagues. But as the two soldiers were busy showing off their stolen property, the owner of the property who they had left to die by the roadside – was said to have been able to relate his ordeal to some members of youth vigilante called Civilian-JTF – before dying at the hospital later.
According to the civilian JTF who narrated the ordeal to 247ureports.com, “The young man, in his early 20s managed to crawl to the road side, dripping blood and some of our members of the civilian-JTF who were setting out on evening patrol spotted him, though he was weak and in pains, he was able to use his last strength to narrate his ordeal before he fainted. He was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately, he died while doctors were trying to save his life. But as we were entering the barracks, to the shock of all of us, we saw two soldiers driving out of the barracks with Muhammed’s car; that was how we raised alarm and the two soldiers were apprehended”.
A senior soldier at the headquarters of the 7 Division in Maiduguri confirmed the incident to 247ureports.com. “All I can tell you is that the incident happened and the two soldiers involved have since been arrested, stripped of their uniforms and are undergoing summary court martial, and from all indication they may not escape summary execution because they were caught with the car with the registered number and even some personal items belonging to their victims inside”. The top officer also revealed that further investigations are being conducted to verify if there are other soldiers who may have had any information about the theft but failed to report it superiors before or after the incident. “I assure you that any one that is found to have any form of connivance “whether by omission or commission would all be summarily tried and executed”, said the officer.
In talking members of the family, they explained that the soldiers have abandoned their original task of battling insecurity and have turned armed robbers. The father of the murdered young man, Konto Abba Sulum confirmed the incident. According to him, “I want the world to know that the soldier turned the gun given to him to protect the citizens in carrying out this evil act against my son; only God knows how many people became victims of this kind of wickedness. I have no much to say on this as I seek the face of God for judgment. My wish is that unsuspecting citizens should know this so as to forestall future occurrence”.
Hajiya Ajuji, a grandmother of the murdered young man had in tears told journalists that “Mohammed simply offered a ride to the heartless soldiers but he ended up killing him around the by- pass. We would go to any level to seek for justice”.
