A Nigerian Army soldier was shot dead by a mobile police inspector during the interception of a truck suspected to be transporting solid minerals from an illegal mining site in Futuk, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
According to reports, the incident occurred on 25 August at around 7:50 p.m. when troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, stopped a truck with registration number Gombe 676 BLG at a checkpoint in Futuk village.
The driver reportedly ignored the soldiers’ directive to halt, prompting the Guard Commander, Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Ali Haruna, to give chase with his men on motorbikes until the vehicle was intercepted.
However, upon stopping the truck, a mobile police officer identified as Inspector Yusuf Ibrahim allegedly alighted and opened fire on the Guard Commander, hitting him in the stomach.
The soldiers swiftly overpowered the inspector and disarmed him. The wounded officer was rushed to the Gombe Specialist Hospital for urgent treatment but later succumbed to his injuries.
Sources said the truck driver fled the scene amid the chaos. Preliminary investigations indicated that the vehicle was conveying solid minerals believed to have been illegally mined from Yalo community, also in Alkaleri LGA. Inspector Ibrahim was alleged to have been providing unauthorised escort for the truck.
“The refusal of the driver to stop, the decision of a trained police officer to open fire on soldiers, and the subsequent escape of the driver are all highly suspicious. Investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances,” a source disclosed.
The sources further warned that the involvement of security operatives in illegal mining activities remains a disturbing trend, underscoring the need for urgent and independent scrutiny of such cases.
