A police sergeant, identified as Ahmed Ali, has been said to have been shot by soldiers on duty in Benisheikh town, Borno State, after his team intercepted a vehicle belonging to their colleague and found it loaded with Indian hemp.
Locals and security sources said that the incident happened at the town’s entry checkpoint, around 10am, on Monday.
A security source said that the soldier driving in an Acura jeep, number FKJ 761 AR, beat a security checkpoint and refused to stop despite warnings from the police.
“His refusal to stop prompted the crack police team to shoot at his tyre, which forced him to stop, but in an effort to drive the vehicle to Benisheikh police station, Sgt. Ali was shot dead by the soldiers.
“The soldier carrying the Indian hemp, identified as Sgt U. Joseph, along with his other colleagues tried to stop the Crack Squad from confiscating the vehicle, which led to the shooting, and Sgt. Ali who was reversing the vehicle, got killed by the bullet,” one of the security sources said.
It was gathered that the suspect is currently under the custody of the military, while the vehicle is at the Benisheikh police station.
A source from the military described the shooting as a mistake by a soldier named, Ibrahim Waberi, who fired at the vehicle in an attempt to stop it from being moved by the deceased.
“His shot mistakenly hit the deceased but the accused soldier is in custody for investigation,” he said.
Attempt to speak to the police failed as the PPRO, Mr Shatambaya ASP Sani Kamilu Shatambaya, was on leave, and his deputy couldn’t be reached for comment.
The last time such incident happened was in February 2020, when an army corporal killed a mobile police officer, Sergeant Rowland Tafida, with an anti-aircraft Gun (AAG) after an altercation at Makara Area of Gwoza LGA of Borno State.
Daily Trust