Two military men serving at the 241 RECCE Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Lance Corporal John Gabriel and Lance Corporal Adamu Gideon, have been dismissed for allegedly killing an Islamic preacher, Sheikh Goni Aisami, in Yobe State.
The Acting Commander of the Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Osabo, spoke with newsmen after the soldiers had been de-kited in Nguru, Yobe State.
Osabo said: “You are all aware of what happened a week ago, where the two service personnel of this unit went out and committed atrocity and the Nigerian Police personnel arrested them.
“Thanks to Almighty Allah, we are able to do the needful. We initiated 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 regiment from the Nigerian Army.
“The dismissed men would be handed over 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 They no longer represent Nigerian Army.
“What these men had done is condemnable and their action is not a true reflection of the Nigerian Army personnel.
“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.”
It would be recalled that police operatives arrested the two soldiers and handed them over to the the Nigerian Army after allegedly killing the Islamic preacher on August 16.
The suspects’ ranks were reportedly reduced from Lance Corporal to Private Soldiers before they were dismissed.
