Yobe cleric killing: Buhari directs military to flush out criminals within

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed military authorities to flush out elements with criminal tendencies.

The president issued the directive in reaction to the killing of Goni Aisami, the Yobe-based cleric.

The Yobe state police had earlier on Tuesday paraded two soldiers and three other persons over the murder.

Dungus Abdulkarim, spokesperson of the state police command, said the principal suspect, John Gabriel, a lance corporal, was arrested alongside his accomplice, Adamu Gideon, both of the 241 Recce Battalion, Nguru.

The police spokesperson said Gabriel admitted to killing the cleric and seizing his car, after which he called on Gideon for help when the victim’s car failed to start.

Reacting through Garba Shehu, his spokesperson, the president described the murder as alien to the ethos of the military.

“This barbaric murder of a compassionate man by a soldier he had assisted has no place in our training as soldiers,” Buhari said.

“It negates the entire ethos of military life which is anchored on discipline and respect for the sanctity of innocent lives.

“As the Commander-in-Chief, I am personally outraged by this criminal and wicked act by a law enforcement official trained to protect life.

“By our training, we are guided by a code of conduct that frowns at this kind of reckless and criminal act. It is not in our character and training to put innocent citizens in harm’s way.

“Of course, the action of this soldier is an isolated incident involving an individual, but it is capable of staining the collective image of our military.

“This incident is capable of making our fellow citizens to be fearful of assisting soldiers, thereby destroying the bond of trust between our military and the civilians.”

The president mandated the military authorities to punish the perpetrators of “without delay”.