A soldier Of the Nigerian Army has reportedly lost his life after being shot by a police officer while trying to halt a truck suspected of transporting illegally mined solid minerals from an illegal mining site in Futuk, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The incident occurred when troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade stopped a truck with registration number Gombe 676 BLG at a checkpoint in Futuk village.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who confirmed the incident, the truck driver initially refused to stop, prompting the Guard Commander, Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Ali Haruna, to pursue the vehicle with his men until it was intercepted.
On halting the truck, a mobile police officer, identified as Inspector Yusuf Ibrahim, allegedly disembarked and opened fire on the Guard Commander, hitting him in the stomach.
The soldiers quickly subdued the policeman and rushed the injured officer to the Gombe Specialist Hospital, where he later died from the gunshot wound.
Makama further revealed that the truck driver fled the scene, while the vehicle was found to be carrying solid minerals to have been illegally extracted from the Yalo community in Alkaleri Local Government Area.
The Guild learnt further that the police inspector was allegedly providing unauthorised escort for the truck dealing in the illegal business.
“The motivations behind the driver’s refusal to stop, the officer’s decision to shoot trained soldiers, and the driver’s escape remain unclear,” Makama noted, stressing that investigations are ongoing.
Security sources described the incident as further proof of the troubling involvement of security personnel in illegal mining operations, stressing the urgent need for an independent investigation into systemic lapses.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police has met with the Commander of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Brig.-Gen. U.J. Simon, to ease tensions and ensure the matter is handled appropriately.
The body of the slain officer has been deposited in the hospital morgue, while the suspect, Inspector Ibrahim, remains in military custody. The intercepted truck has been impounded for ongoing investigation.
