Soldier goes berserk, kills commander, two others, shoots self

A soldier, Lance Corporal Nwobodo Chinoso, on Sunday killed himself after shooting three persons dead at the accommodation centre of the Forward Operating Base in Rabah, Sokoto State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victims include the Commander of the Forward Operating Base, Rabah Command, Lt. Sam Oladapo, the FOB, Rabah Command, Sergeant Major Iliyasu Inusa, and another private soldier, Attahiru Mohammed.

A military source said the events that led to the death of the soldiers started with an argument involving only the Oladapo.

The source said during the argument, Inusa and Mohammed intervened and Chinoso allegedly shot the three soldiers dead and thereafter killed himself.

Noting that an investigation had been ordered into the matter to ascertain the cause of the incident, the source, however, linked the incident to a post-traumatic stress disorder, adding that the corpses had been deposited at the Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital’s morgue.

The source said, “There was a shooting incident on Sunday evening at the Forward Operating Base, FOB, Rabah, in Sokoto State. One LCPL Nwobodo Chinoso of 223 Battalion, Zuru ATT to 26 and Depl at FOB Rabah, opened fire and killed the FOB Commander, Sam Oladapo, the CSM SSGT, Iliyasu Inusa, and PTE Attahiru Mohammed, inside the command accommodation before killing himself.

“The Commander, 8 Division Garrison and Commanding Officer 26 Battalion are presently at the location. Efforts are ongoing to move the corpses to the Usman Dan Fodio Teaching Hospital. An investigation into the cause of the incident has started immediately but the cause of the incident is not yet known.

“But what happened could not be unconnected to the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder because it was just a little argument between him and the CSM. His commander and another person tried to intervene. He pulled out his rifle and shot them and himself. ”

Reacting, the Nigerian Army, in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, on Monday, said an investigation had commenced into the incident.

Nwachukwu said a board of inquiry had been set up to determine the circumstances surrounding the case, adding that the board would recommend ways to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

The statement partly read, “The Nigerian Army has instituted investigations into the unfortunate incident of a soldier, who killed his colleagues and himself at Forward Operations Base, Rabbah, Sokoto State.

“The sad and rare incident occurred on the evening of Sunday, March 5, 2023, at the FOB, where troops were deployed for Internal Security Operations.

“The circumstances leading to the incident could not be immediately ascertained, as the soldier who killed his colleagues also shot himself immediately.”

“The authorities of the Nigerian Army are deeply concerned about this unusual development and have therefore instituted a Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident. It is envisaged that the findings of the BOI will help forestall such ugly and bizarre occurrences in the future. ”

Onyema said the General Officer, Commanding 8 Division Nigerian Army, who also doubles as the Commander Joint Task Force, Northwest Operation, Hadarin Daji, Major General Godwin Mutkut, and other senior officers had visited the location.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident happened less than four months after a soldier shot an aid worker and another soldier dead and injured a co-pilot of a United Nation helicopter in Borno State.

(Punch)