A soldier of the Nigerian Army has been shot dead by a mobile police inspector while intercepting a truck suspected to be conveying solid minerals from an illegal mining site in Futuk, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter insurgency reporter, the incident occurred on Aug. 25 at about 7:50 p.m. when troops of 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, stopped a truck with registration number Gombe 676 BLG at a checkpoint in Futuk village.
The truck driver was said to have refused to halt at the checkpoint, forcing the Guard Commander, Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Ali Haruna, to pursue the vehicle with his men on motorbikes until they intercepted it.
However, on halting the truck, a mobile police officer identified as Inspector Yusuf Ibrahim allegedly disembarked and opened fire on the Guard Commander, hitting him in the stomach.
The soldiers immediately overpowered the policeman and disarmed him, while the injured officer was rushed to the Gombe Specialist Hospital for urgent medical treatment. He later died from the gunshot wound.
Sources further disclosed that the truck driver escaped from the scene in the chaos that followed the shooting.
Preliminary findings revealed that the truck was conveying solid minerals suspected to have been extracted illegally from Yalo community, also in Alkaleri LGA. The police inspector was believed to have been on illegal escort duty for the truck.
“The reasons behind the refusal of the vehicle to stop at the checkpoint, the decision of a trained police officer to open fire on soldiers after interception, and the escape of the driver remain highly suspicious. Investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances behind the incident,” the sources stated.
The sources added that the involvement of security personnel in illegal mining operations remained a disturbing trend, stressing that the incident spotlight the need for urgent and independent investigations to address compromises within the security system.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police has interfaced with the Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade, Brig.-Gen. U.J. Simon, to calm tensions and ensure proper handling of the case.
Our correspondent learnt that the remains of the slain officer have been deposited at the hospital morgue while arrangements are ongoing for his burial in line with military tradition.
The suspect, Inspector Ibrahim, is currently in army custody, while the intercepted truck has been impounded for further investigation.
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