Soldier commits suicide after killing ‘three colleagues’ in Sokoto

A soldier of the Nigerian army has reportedly shot himself dead after killing three of his colleagues in Rabah area of Sokoto.

Confirming the development in a statement on Monday, Onyema Nwachukwu, army spokesperson, said the incident occurred on Sunday.

Nwachukwu said the reason behind the soldier’s action was yet to be confirmed, noting that authorities have established a board of inquiry to investigate the incident.

“The Nigerian army has instituted investigations into the unfortunate incident of a soldier, who killed his colleagues and himself at Forward Operations Base (FOB) Rabbah, Sokoto state,” the statement reads.

“The sad and rare incident occurred in the evening of Sunday 5th of March 2023 at the FOB, where troops were deployed for internal security operations.

“The circumstances leading to the incident could not be immediately ascertained, as the soldier who killed his colleagues also shot himself immediately, terminating his own life.

“The general officer commanding (GOC) 8 Division Nigerian army, who also doubles as the commander of the joint task force north-west operation Hadarin Daji, major general Godwin Mutkut and other senior officers have visited the location, where he commiserated with troops for losing their colleagues in such an unfortunate situation.

“The authorities of the Nigerian army are deeply concerned about this unusual and ugly development and have therefore instituted a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident. It is envisaged that the findings of the BOI will help forestall such ugly and bizarre occurrences in the future.”

The army spokesperson urged the troops “to be their brother’s keepers and report any anomaly observed amongst their colleagues to forestall such incidences”.

He advised the troops to remain calm and committed while carrying out their duties.