The Nigerian Army has fired two soldiers accused of murdering an Islamic cleric named Sheikh Goni Gashua in Yobe State.
Lance Corporal John Gabriel and Lance Corporal Adamu Gideon are the troops that were discharged.
Gabriel was alleged to have been granted a ride by the priest, who was heading from Kano State.
Gabriel was claimed to have told the dead that there was an unusual noise at the back tyre when they arrived at Jaji-Maji, a settlement near Gashua town. The clergyman had apparently stopped to inspect the tyres.
Gabriel was claimed to have drawn his gun from a camp bed and shot the clergyman to death.
He did, however, call Gideon for assistance in towing the truck.
The Nigeria Army set up a board of Inquiry to investigate the alleged murder of the Islamic cleric by soldiers who had been arrested by the police.
On Saturday, a military source told our correspondent that the board recommended that the troops be court martialed.
According to the source, they were demoted and discharged when the court martial found them guilty.
“The two soldiers accused of killing one Islamic cleric in Yobe, Lcpl John Gabriel and Lcpl Adamu Gideon of the 241 Battalion, Yobe, were charged on two charges bordering on murder and found guilty as charged,” according to the source. Aside from that, they were both degraded from Lance Corporal to Private before being discharged.
Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, Assistant Director, Public Relations, Headquarters Sector 2 Operation Hadin Kai, verified the situation to our correspondent when reached.
“Yes, they have been charged and discharged,” he replied. We just ended the court martial not long ago,” he said, adding that a statement was being prepared.
