The Nigerian Army has dismissed four soldiers, Sani Munzani (24), Abubakar Auwalu (26), Abubakar Sani (23) and Muazu Hassan (22), for allegedly stabbing an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kingsley Chimetalo, to death in Bida town, Niger State.
The suspects were investigated, court martialed and dismissed by 18 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bida.
They were said to have engaged NDLEA officials in a physical fight at a checkpoint at Rahmatu Dangana Junction in Bida during which Chimetalo was reportedly stabbed in the back with a jack knife and his rifle taken away by the soldiers.
The dismissed soldiers have been handed over to the Niger State Police Command for further prosecution.
The Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said “On 09/03/2024 at about 1820hrs, a team of NDLEA officers were on stop and search at Ramat Junction, Bida while two suspected soldiers who were not in uniform, on a motorcycle got to the point and they were intercepted by the NDLEA team.
“The team requested for identification, but the suspected soldiers could not establish a proper means of identification, and their bag was searched but nothing incriminating was found.
“In the course of this, there was an argument and altercation, and after the search, the suspected soldiers left the scene and returned with additional men reinforced to the scene for an alleged attack.
“Unfortunately during the fight, an officer of the NDLEA named Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed in the back with a jack knife by one of the suspects and his rifle was taken away.
“The injured officer was taken to FMC Bida where he later gave up the ghost. In the course of the investigation by the police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division Bida, the officer’s rifle was later recovered in a nearby bush where it was dumped without a magazine.”
Abiodun said that one of the suspects, Sani Munzani, confessed to the stabbing of Chimetalo.