Nigerian soldier kills himself after arrest for aiding terrorists

Nigerian soldier shot and killed himself after he was arrested for aiding Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP).

Lance Corporal Jibrin was an instructor with the Nigerian Army battalion in Geidam, Yobe State.

A military source told BBC Hausa that the soldier was involved in a series of attacks on communities in Yobe State in recent weeks.

The soldier was put under surveillance after two separate attacks in Geidam and Gashua towns in Yobe recently.

The soldier – who specialises in arms control – snatched a pistol from one of the arresting officers and killed himself despite being handcuffed.

Jibrin, who disappeared from his duty post a few days ago, was said to have been sighted among the Boko Haram terrorists that attacked Geidam town last week.

Military sources said the soldier was tracked by an army intelligence unit and was found in Gashua, some hundreds of kilometres from his duty post, on Tuesday.

“The Army authorities in Gashua were intimated and Jibrin was nabbed at a checkpoint after he boarded a bus to Gombe and disguised himself as a civilian,” a military source told Daily Trust.

“He was handcuffed and on interrogation, he revealed a lot which led to the arrest of some of his collaborators.

“On transit to Geidam, he snatched a gun from one of his escorts, overpowered the other and shot himself.”

Yobe has seen fatal terrorist attacks in recent weeks.

Around two dozen fighters dressed in military-like uniforms and believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group sneaked on foot into Geidam town in Yobe state earlier in April, militia sources told AFP.

They rounded up nine people in a bar and slaughtered them, some with their hands tied behind their back, militiaman Gremah Bukar said.

“They killed nine people at the bar, including two women and a retired police officer,” Bukar told AFP.

The jihadists also forced their way into the staff living quarters of a technical college, killing two people and torching buildings, said Bukar, in an account supported by another militiaman, Abubakar Adamu.

At least three soldiers were also killed by ISWAP fighters last November after a military convoy ran into an ambushed convoy at Tamsu Kawu village along the 120-kilometre highway linking Maiduguri and Yobe state capital Damaturu.

Three soldiers were killed last November when ISWAP fighters ambushed a military convoy at Tamsu Kawu village along the 120-kilometre highway linking Maiduguri and Yobe state capital Damaturu, the two sources told AFP.

AFP contributed to this report.