On Tuesday, the Yobe State police in northeastern Nigeria described how a soldier named John Gabriel allegedly murdered an Islamic cleric named Goni Aisami in the state's Karasuwa Local Government Area.
According to a statement from the state's police spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim, the suspect, Gabriel, and his accomplice, Adamu Gideon, were both deployed to the 241 Recce Battalion, Nguru, when they were both detained.
According to him, the soldiers are being questioned about possible killings and armed robberies.
In response to a distress call on August 19, according to Abdulkarim, police detectives from the Karasuwa Division arrested Gabriel, a Lance Corporal with service number N/A13/69/1522, and Gideon, with service number N/A13/70/6552, both of whom were assigned to the 241 RECCE Battalion, Nguru.
The police said one of the suspects, Gabriel, “whose intention was to rob unsuspecting motorists of their vehicle left the barrack on the date in mufti having concealed his rifle in a camp bed for the military checkpoint at Nguru at about 2200hrs.
“Meanwhile, one Sheik Goni Aisami, a prominent Islamic scholar based in Gashua who was travelling alone from Kano to Gashua in his Honda accord Car with Reg. No KBT 31 AE arrived at the military checkpoint at Nguru.
“Gabriel requested the Islamic cleric to offer him a lift to Jaji Maji which he obliged. That while driving and before reaching Jaji-Maji town the assailant asked him to park that there was an unusual noise at the rear tyre.
“That when the cleric came down while checking the tyre, the suspect brought out his rifle, shot and killed him, the police narrated.
The police spokesperson said after shooting the cleric, the soldier “dragged the body and hid it in the bush and took possession of the vehicle with the intention of taking it away but the vehicle refused to start after several attempts.
Afterwards, Abdulkarim said the suspect called his accomplice Gideon from the same military battalion and an auto-electrician from Jaji maji town to assist in starting the car.
“However, nemesis caught up with the culprits when a passerby going to his farm early in the morning saw the corpse, a vehicle and some people and alerted the police from Jaji who promptly mobilised and raced down to the scene,” the spokesperson said
“This led to the arrest of the two soldiers and recovery of the corpse, the deceased’s vehicle and the rifle used in the commission of the offence”, the police added.
Meanwhile, the police said a Volkswagen Sharon bus found at the scene of the crime was also recovered.
“In the course of the investigation, the culprits confessed to the crime. The investigation is still ongoing, suspects are in police custody and as soon as the investigation is concluded they will be charged to court, Abdulkarim said.