Troops shot dead soldier who went wild, killed senior officer in Sokoto

• A military signal confirmed the incident

Troops from Joint Task Force North West Operation HADARIN DAJI (OPHD) shot and killed Soldier James Kingsley after he opened fire, fatally shooting his senior officer, Second Lieutenant OC Ukachuckwu (N/19548), at the Forward Operational Base in Magami, Sokoto.

The incident occurred on Sunday at approximately 6:05 pm. Other soldiers intervened, ending James’ attack, but not before some colleagues sustained injuries. Those injured are now in stable condition at the hospital.

According to SaharaReporters, a military signal confirmed the incident.

The signal signed by Major MD Mikaailu read, “I TXT(.) SPECIAL SITREP (.) INCIDENT REPORT (.) AT ABOUT 041805HRS(.) WHILE ON STAND TO PERIOD 03NA/53/1572 CPL JAMES KINGSLEY FROM 26BN ATT TO TEAM 3 FOR OPHD FIRED 2LT OC UKACHUKWU (N/19548) AT TANGO 2 FOB MAGAMI (.) THE SLDRS WENT ON FIRING EVERYONE ON SIGHT(.) AND HE WAS GUNNED DOWN BY FELLOW SLDRS PRESENT AT THE TANGO(.) BOTH LATE OFFR AND SLDR WERE RUSHED TO MAGAMI GEN HOSP WHERE THE OFFR WAS CONFIRMED DEAD(.) SIT WITHIN OWN FOB IS UNDER CON (.) SY SIT REMAINS CC (.) OTHERWISE NTR (.)DETAIL LATER (.) PSE ACK///.”

There have been public concerns recently over the state of mental health of Nigerian soldiers, particularly the ones fighting terrorists in the North-East.

In March 2023, a soldier fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East opened fire on his colleague and killed him.

The deceased soldier was identified as Private Diko.

According to military sources, the duo belonged to Operation Desert Sanity and joined the army in 2020.

The incident occurred in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno state.

“They were having an argument and before you know it, he killed him (Diko). Both being 20NA were posted to 103 battalion Enugu but were moved to Borno to fight the Boko Haram insurgency,” a military source had informed SaharaReporters.

Also in 2023, another soldier identified as Lance Corporal Nwobodo Chinoso, shot dead the Commander of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Rabah in Sokoto State, Lt. Sam Oladapo.

Chinoso also shot the FOB Rabah Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Sgt. Iliyasu Inusa, and another private soldier, Attahiru Mohammed, after he had killed Oladapo.

After shooting his colleagues, he thereafter committed suicide by shooting himself.

The incident happened less than four months after a soldier shot an aid worker and another soldier dead and injured a co-pilot of a United Nations helicopter in Borno State.