A soldier has been arrested by the Nigerian Army’s 7 Division in Maiduguri, for the suspected murder of a truck driver at a checkpoint on the Maiduguri-Dikwa-Gamboru Road.
The truck driver and the soldier at the checkpoint misunderstood each another, leading to the altercation that led to the driver’s death.
However, in response to the tragic killing, commercial drivers have reportedly decided to boycott the heavily travelled border road in protest, leaving many travellers stranded.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Public Relations Officer for 7 Division, Lt. Col. A.Y. Jingina, confirmed the arrest and stated that the Army had opened an investigation subsequent to receiving a complaint from the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
The statement read, “Furthermore, engagement has been established with NURTW towards a peaceful resolution of the incident. The division has assured both the family of the deceased and the NURTW of its commitment to ensure that justice is served to the family and no stone would be left unturned in this regard.
“In the division’s effort towards ensuring that the family of the victim gets justice, the soldier in question has been arrested, and an investigation has commenced.
“It’s also worth mentioning that the division does not tolerate any form of unprofessional conduct from any personnel as we operate within the ambit of the law.
“The Division wishes to reassure the members of the general public once again that we will remain resolute and professional in the joint effort to tackle insecurity in Borno State.”
