The Borno State Police Command has said it is investigating a case involving a soldier who allegedly shot dead a policeman, Sgt Ahmed Ali, who intercepted his vehicle carrying a substance believed to be Indian hemp.
The incident reportedly happened at an entry checkpoint at Benishek, Kaga Local Government Area of the state on Monday, when the soldiers in the vehicle, an Acura Sport Utility Vehicle, driven by one Sgt. U Joseph, would not subject themselves to a proper check.
“The issue is highly sensitive, and it involves a lot of ambiguities,” the acting spokesman for the Borno Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, confirmed to The PUNCH in Maiduguri, Wednesday.
“We are still investigating; because of the sensitivity of the case, we have to investigate thoroughly”, Daso said, adding that, “hopefully, we will conclude investigation today (Wednesday, April 19), and will address the press hopefully tomorrow (Thursday, April 20).”
He stressed: “We have to be very careful and thorough in the investigation duty given the sensitivity involved.”
Local and security sources had told a national newspaper (not THE PUNCH) that the refusal of the soldiers to stop at the checkpoint prompted the police team to shoot at the vehicle’s tyre, which forced the driver 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 with the vehicle got killed by the bullet,” one of the security sources revealed.
It was gathered that the suspect is currently under the custody of the military while the vehicle is parked at the Benisheik police station.
A source from the military described the shooting as a mistake as a soldier named Ibrahim Waberi 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.
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