The headquarters of Sector Operation Hadin Kai of the Nigeria Army has commenced an investigation into the murder of an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Goni Gashua by two suspected soldiers.
Recall that the Police in Yobe have arrested two soldiers in connection with the murder of an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Goni Gashua on Friday night near Jaji Maji in Karasuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the Sector in a statement on Sunday said the Sector had instituted a Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstance surrounding the unfortunate incident.
The statement said: “At the end of the investigation, the soldiers would be made to face the full wrath of both military and civil laws.
“This incident is highly regrettable given the Sector’s disposition and zero tolerance for violation of Code of Conduct and Rules of engagement for troops”.
The Sector, while pledging that justice would be done, commiserated with the family of the victim and the good people of Yobe State.
How it happened
A member of the vigilante group in the state who pleaded anonymity because he has no permission to speak to journalists narrated how the Islamic cleric was killed.
According to him, one of the soldiers requested for a free ride from the cleric who was returning to Yobe from Kano via Nguru, and the cleric granted the request.
“From the reliable information that we gathered, the first soldier came to the checkpoint at about 9 p.m. on Friday when he stopped the sheik and requested a ride,” the source, who is involved in the investigations, said.
“Midway into the journey, the sheik stopped to ease himself but upon return, the soldier was waiting for him with an AK 48 rifle asking him to stay away from the car. The surprised sheik insisted on coming over to enter his car but the soldier, after firing a warning shot, fired a second one on his hand and then finally gunned him down.
“After he killed the sheik and he wanted to leave, the car refused to start. That was the point he called a second soldier, his friend, who came with a car but the crankshaft of his car also broke down and they called for help from the vigilante.
“It was when we came to help them remove the two cars that one of us noticed blood on the car.
“At that point, the police were alerted. It is then that we found the body of the sheik in a pool of blood in the bush. The soldiers were immediately arrested and the gun recovered from him by the police”.
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