A Nigerian Army captain on deployment in the North-east has committed suicide, PREMIUM TIMES can report.
The officer flipped his rifle towards own stomach and opened fired at the 7 Division Medical Centre in Maiduguri in the evening of June 18, according to military sources. He was referred to the facility for medical examination and treatments.
PREMIUM TIMES has withheld the officer’s name because it was not clear whether his family members have been notified. He was drafted to the North-east as part of the war against Boko Haram from the Nigerian Army 22 Armoured Brigade in Ilorin.
The brigade has notified appropriate authorities of the development, including the Defence Headquarters.
Before the officer killed himself, he threatened to shoot a storekeeper at the medical centre armoury, who fled the scene for safety. It was after the scare that the captain killed himself. He was rushed in for treatment, but passed on shortly thereafter.
The officer was attached to troops operating in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, the heart of Boko Haram onslaught. He collected his gun from the armoury on June 18 and said he was going back to Mafa to join his team the next day.
The nature of his ailments prior to the suicide could not be ascertained before this story was completed.
The Defence Headquarters and the 7 Division spokespersons did not return PREMIUM TIMES’ requests for comments between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
It was only seven months ago when a soldier opened fire on a captain, killing him before killing himself, sparking renewed fears about post traumatic stress disorder amongst troops combating insurgents. The military said the matter would be investigated, but the outcome remained unknown.
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