Army Panel To Investigate Deaths Of Captain, Soldiers In Chibok

The Nigerian Army has set up investigative panel for official account of the Sunday deadly shooting incident that cost the lives of its officer and three other soldiers in Chibok, Borno State.

The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Brig-Gen. Sani Usman, in a statement on Monday, that the Headquarters of 28 Task Force Brigade, Nigerian Army, has instituted a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to unravel the circumstances behind the fatalities.

A report had it that Captain T. Mani was killed in Adamawa State on Sunday by a fellow soldier, three others and subsequently took his own life.

According to reports, the deceased officer, Captain T. Mani, was on Sunday morning patrol with other officers when they responded to a distress call that the now dead soldier- a staff sergeant Silas Ninyo was beating civilians at a nearby location in Chibok over his girlfriend named Esther.

Mani and his team was said to have prevailed on Ninyo to desist from molesting the civilian who was accused of making romantic advances on his now at large girlfriend.

But Ninyo instead of surrendering to the Captain who tried disarm him, opened fire, killing the officer and took his own life.

Part of the statement issued by the Army Spokesperson read: “The Headquarters of 28 Task Force Brigade Nigerian Army has instituted a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to unravel the circumstances surrounding the shooting incident that resulted in the death of an Officer and a Senior Non-Commission Officer (SNCO), deployed on duty at Chibok, Borno State earlier today Sunday, 12th November 2017.

“At about 12.50pm today, the unit received a report that a Staff was seen to be drunk and misbehaving to civilians. An officer was despatched to the scene with a view to bring him back to base. The officer did his best but the SNCO refused several entreaties to calm him and be disarmed by the superior officer. Unfortunately, the Staff Sergeant shot the officer dead and then killed himself. Their remains have since been evacuated to a military facility. The BOI is expected investigate the incident and promptly turn in its report and findings in one week.”

Usman emphasised that “the Nigerian Army is a disciplined and professional force with zero tolerance for any acts of indiscipline and misdemeanor”.

He states that the death of the officer and the Staff Sergeant is painful and a great loss to the unit and the Nigerian Army.