By Akinwale Kasali
Those who knew the ill-fated Army Corporal insist he was a good young man. They insist that he was a jolly good fellow. But they also noticed that a few days to his tragic end, which also tragically ended the lives of four others, he was withdrawn, kept to himself, and seemed depressed.
As is the case in our country, nobody cared much, or asked him what the problem.
But the nation was forced to notice when, on Wednesday, he pulled his gun, fatally shot four of his colleagues, then turned the gun on himself, and finally put an end to his troubled life.
For years, medical practitioners, past Chiefs of Army Staff, Houses of Assembly, and Non Government Organisations have been advocating for psychological and mental check ups for military personnels at theatres of wars, during and after such missions. They also need constant counseling.
Because of the nature of their job, they are atimes under severe stress and constant pressure. They have killed. They have also watched their colleagues killed. They have seen too much blood too.
It was at the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, Army Super Camp 15, Mallam Fatori, Borno State, that the yet- to – be named Corporal lost it, and shot at his colleagues, killing four of them before shooting himself.
Confirming the incident, Army Spokesperson, Musa Sagir, disclosed in a statement shared to the press, that the soldier “went berserk in the early hours of 26 February 2020.”
He stressed that the soldier “opened fire killing four of his colleagues before shooting himself”.
He said: “Two of his colleagues were also injured during the incident and are currently in stable condition in our hospital in Maiduguri.
“Efforts are ongoing to contact the families of our gallant colleagues who paid the supreme price in the line of duty. May their gentle souls rest in peace.
“Meanwhile, the investigation into the case has since been instituted to determine the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident.”
This is not the first time such is happening at the military base in theatre of wars. It would be recalled that another soldier committed suicide in Borno State after killing a colleague.
Another report of yet another soldier who opened fire at a military facility in Abuja, killing one colleague, and injuring another before fatally ripping apart his own mouth with the rifle.
Also, a soldier on deployment to Nigeria’s restive North-east opened fire on an Army Captain, killing him before turning the gun on himself.
In June, 2018, an army Captain on active deployment to Boko Haram frontline committed suicide as he underwent a psychiatric evaluation in Borno State. The fear is that more of these incidents could happen, as many of the soldiers are under pressure and stress.
The recurring nature of such incidences has raised concerns about whether soldiers fighting Book Haram are receiving adequate mental and psychological treatment from the Military Medical facilities.
