By Ayodele Oni
The Niger State Police Command has announced the arrest of four soldiers for allegedly kîllîng personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), of the Command, Waisu Abiodun, disclosed on Saturday that the incident happened on March 9, 2024, around Ramat junction in Bida Local Government Area.
According to him, “On March 9, at about 6:20 p.m., a team of NDLEA officers were on stop and search at Ramat Junction, Bida when two suspected soldiers, not in uniform, on a motorcycle were intercepted.
“The team requested for their identifications, which the suspected soldiers did not provide a proper means of identification and nothing incriminating was found on them.
”In the course of the search, there was an altercation, after which the suspects left the scene, returned with additional men reinforced to the scene and allegedly attacked NDLEA officers.”
Abiodun explained that during the fight, an officer of the NDLEA named Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed in the back with a Jack-knife by one of the suspects and his rifle taken away.
The spokesman said that the injured officer was taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Bida, where he was later confirmed dead by a doctor.
He said the police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division Bida immediately swung into investigation and the deceased rifle was recovered in a nearby bush where it was dumped without a magazine.
Abiodun said the investigation was conducted in collaboration with 18 Brigade, Nigeria Army Bida that led to the identification of six soldiers that were court-martialed and dismissed while two of them escaped.
He mentioned the names of the suspects to include: Sani Munzani and Abubakar Auwalu from Kano State, Abubakar Sani from Kebbi State and Muazu Hassan from Edo State.
He said the suspects were handed over to the Police on Monday, for prosecution where Sani Munzani confessed to the stabbing of the deceased NDLEA officer.
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