The Nigerian Army on Sunday said it has launched an investigation into the killing of a driver by men in military uniform.
The 81 Division Nigerian Army stated that it is looking into the incident and will take appropriate action if the culprits are found to be serving soldiers.
The deceased driver who was simply identified as Lawal was reportedly murdered on August 17 by men in military uniform while on an inter-state delivery en route to Abuja.
According to his friend who was driving ahead of him, Lawal was stopped as he made his way to deliver a car to its owner in Abuja.
The alleged soldiers, the friend said, told Lawal that they were moving him to their barracks but he was taken to Iyana Ipaja around the exit of Lagos, where he was shot dead and his body thrown into a bush.
Lieutenant Olabisi Ayeni, a representative of the 81 Division Nigerian Army, assured that if the individuals responsible are indeed military personnel, they will face the full consequences of both military and civil laws.
“In as much as information into the allegation is still scanty at the moment, being a responsible organisation, Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army considers it appropriate to bring the occurrence to public notice and the steps taken to identify the alleged persons in military uniform, believed to be soldiers and bring them to justice if truly they are serving soldiers.
“The Division is currently investigating in conjunction with the Nigerian Police, Lagos State Command, to unravel the identity of the alleged suspects and the circumstances surrounding the alleged unfortunate incident. At the end of the investigation, if the suspects are identified as serving soldiers, they will be made to face the full wrath of both military and civil laws.”
The Lieutenant further told the deceased’s family members to exercise patience as appropriate actions would be taken to discipline any offender in its fold.
“The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for troops’ misconduct or involvement of its personnel in any form of criminality, hence, will not allow this allegation to go unravelled.
“Consequently, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division NA, Maj Gen MT Usman, commiserates with the family of the victim while promising that justice would be served accordingly. He assures the family of the deceased that whosoever killed their loved one will not be allowed to go unpunished,” he stated.