Dennis Erezi
A team of four soldiers have been dismissed for killing a personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Bida Council area of Niger State.
Spokesman of the police Wasiu Abiodun in a statement said the incident occurred on March 9 when a team of NDLEA officers were on stop and search at Ramat Dangana Junction, in the local council.
Abiodun said two soldiers without uniforms on a motorcycle were intercepted by the NDLEA team.
The police said the NDLEA team requested their identification but the soldiers could not establish a proper means of identification after which their bag was searched but nothing incriminating was found.
During the search, an argument ensued before the soldiers left the scene and returned with additional men reinforced to the scene for an alleged attack.
“Unfortunately, during the fight, an officer of the NDLEA, Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed at the back with a Jack-knife by one of the suspects and his rifle was taken away,” the police said.
The police stated that the injured officer was taken to F.M.C Bida where he was confirmed dead.
Abiodun said in the course of the investigation by the Police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division Bida, the officer’s rifle was later recovered in a nearby bush where it was dumped without a magazine.
The police spokesman said that during the painstaking investigation in collaboration with 18 Brigade, Nigeria Army Bida, six soldiers involved in the incident were identified, court martial and dismissed, while two others escaped.
The four suspects are: Sani Munzani 24 years of Kano State, Abubakar Auwalu 26 years of Kano State, Abubakar Sani 23 years of Kebbi State, and Muazu Hassan 22 years is from Edo State.
The four suspects were handed over to the Police on 20/05/2024 for prosecution while Sani Munzani confessed to the stabbing of the deceased.
“All the suspects are under investigation in SCID Minna and will be charged to court for prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded,” Abiodun said.
