The vigilante commander, Otula Abraham Japheth, was shot in the leg following an argument about some military kits allegedly found in his possession.
Two soldiers have been taken into custody for shooting a commander of a vigilante group in Adamawa State.
The vigilante commander, Otula Abraham Japheth, was shot in the leg following an argument about some military kits allegedly found in his possession.
Spokesperson for the 23 Brigade in Yola, the state capital, Major Sani Haruna, confirmed the incident, saying the two soldiers at the scene of the alleged shooting have been detained.
He said, "We learnt that a vigilante member was found to be in possession of some military kits and cartridge holder; so the soldiers in question asked him to surrender them but he refused.
"Preliminary report showed that the vigilante guys began to mobilise their men, so one of the soldiers allegedly fired a shot; as it is, investigation is ongoing, and all items recovered are with the police."
However, narrating his own side of the story, Japheth denied being found in possession of any kit or item belonging to the military.
He said, "No military kits of any kind were found in my possession but I can confirm that one vigilante member under my command, who goes by the name Kabiru, was the person found wearing a military face-cap and carrying a bag.
"On the fateful day, being June 28, 2020, a soldier in plain clothing, who was later identified as Lance Corporal Ebihus Amos, came to our neighbourhood to collect Marijuana and other substances from local vendors and saw Kabiru wearing a military face-cap with a military bag strapped to his body.
"He attempted to confiscate the items but could not because he was in mufti, so he went and came back with a colleague, both of them dressed and armed.
"As commander of Luggere Unit, my attention was drawn to the scene, but before I got there, a tricycle packed in front of me and two military guys asked me to get on board but I refused and demanded to know why.
"Suddenly, the soldiers started hitting me with daggers, before one of them shot me in the leg and I was rushed to a hospital."