Army dismisses two soldiers over killing of Yobe Islmic cleric

The 241 RECCE Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Yobe, on Saturday dismissed two soldiers, John Gabriel and Lance Cpl Adamu Gideon, for allegedly killing an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Goni Aisami, in the state.

The Acting Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Osabo, disclosed this to journalists shortly after the suspects were de-kited in Nguru.

The suspects were demoted from the rank of Lance Corporal to private soldiers before they were dismissed.

The Yobe State police command on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of the suspects in connection with the August 16 killing of the Islamic cleric.

Osabo said: “You are all aware of what happened a week ago where the two service personnel of this unit went out and committed an atrocity and the Nigerian Police personnel arrested them.

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“Thanks to Almighty Allah we are able to do the needful. We initiated a military police investigation together with the Nigerian Police.

“The outcome of the investigation gave us the latitude to sanction the suspects accordingly and they are now officially dismissed from the Nigerian Army.”

He added that the dismissed men would be handed officially to the Nigeria Police to face civil prosecution.

“We are taking them to our Sector Headquarters in Damaturu. The Sector Commander will then officially hand them over to the Nigeria Police to face civil prosecution. They no longer represent the Nigerian Army,” he added.

The Commanding Officer condemned the actions of the dismissed soldiers.

“I want to assure you that we are law-abiding citizens and we are ready to dispense justice on anybody who is found wanting, irrespective of position or rank,” the army officer stated.