Soldiers Accused Of Brutalizing And Killing Civilian In Yobe

Members of Bundigari community in Damaturu, Yobe state, have accused some soldiers of the Nigerian army of extrajudicial killing of a 26-year-old Ibrahim Bala, This Day reports.

Speaking with journalists, a member of the community, Ali Useni, said that the military arrested Ibrahim after a raid within the community and brutalized him.

“The military after serious torture of Ibrahim and the other six people that were arrested called us and handed them over to us but the torture on Ibrahim by the military was too much that he died before we could get him to the Gen. Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital,” he said.

Responding to the accusation, Lt. George Okupe, the spokesman of the 27 Task Force Brigade Damaturu, said that the deceased and the others were apprehended because they were curfew breakers.

“As far as I know, those arrested were curfew breakers but I don’t have knowledge that one of the people died because the information I got was that those boys were released this morning and none was reported to have died,” he said.

However, the spokesman added that based on the accusation the commander of the 27 Task Force Brigade set-up an investigation team to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian army has recently issued a warning to residents of Damaturu, saying that anyone caught flaunting the curfew orders would be dealt with.

In a related development, Akan Jackson, a sergeant attached to the Lagos police command, accused some soldiers in the state of subjecting him and his friend to extreme torture and abuse.