One soldier has been arrested by the police in Benin, Edo State after stabbing the driver of a transport company to death at Okene town in Kogi State.
According to Leadership, the victim, who was simply identified as Ogbimi of Big Joe Motors, was allegedly attacked with a jackknife by one Lance Corporal Moses Oguche of 4th Brigade at about 11am on Sunday, July 21, 2019.
It was gathered that late Ogbimi and a mechanic, one Kekere, had gone to recover a broken down vehicle belonging to transport firm when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Trouble allegedly started when a towing van that was being driven by the deceased and a silver colour Nissan Primera marked Abuja- KWL 811-AP owned by the soldier accidentally scratched each other.
The soldier and his friend, who were on mufti, was infuriated during the heated argument that ensued between them and stabbed Ogbimi,
Upon killing the driver, the soldier who anticipated a mop attack, jumped into his vehicle and fled the scene.
During the melee, some passersby launched a vehicular chase after the fleeing killer-soldier who abandoned his car and ran into a bush behind a private building at Agbede town in Edo State.
He was said to have made a call to his colleagues at a military base in Auchi before he was taken into police custody along with his vehicle at Agbede Divisional Police headquarters.
The situation, it was gathered almost went out of control when some armed soldiers who stormed the police station in two Hilux vans ostensibly to rescue their embattled colleague were prevented by residents of the community and the policemen on ground.
Sources hinted that the state commissioner of police, Mr. DanMallam Mohammed, ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the state police command headquarters in Benin, the state capital.
Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, promised that justice would be done in the matter.
“It is case of murder and we investigating it, he is a Nigerian and he is not above the law. I assure you that justice will be done in this case,” he stated.
The public relations officer of 4Brigade, Nigerian Army, Capt. Maidawa Ibrahim Mohammed, regretted that incident and assured the parties concerned that the matter would be investigated by the army authorities.
“The loss of life in this controversial circumstance is highly regrettable. This is certainly not in line with the professional disposition of the Nigerian Army which places high premium on the sanctity of human life. As alleged, this unfortunate circumstance will be thoroughly investigated and if established, justice shall take its course. I want to reassure the general public of the safety of their life and property.”
The personal assistant to Mr. Sunny Joseph Osayande, one of the directors of Big Joe Motors, Mr. Jonathan, described the incident as unfortunate. He said that the management of the transport firm and the relatives of the deceased were invited by the police to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) on July 22, 2019.