SaharaReporters learnt that the female Army Corporal killed Lieutenant Zira at a checkpoint by Fire Service Roundabout, along Galadima Aminu Way in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
One Corporal Nkiru of the Nigerian Army has reportedly shot a superior officer, Lieutenant Bitrus Zira.
SaharaReporters learnt that the female Army Corporal killed Lieutenant Zira at a checkpoint by Fire Service Roundabout, along Galadima Aminu Way in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
But the army authorities denied that anyone was killed
Military sources who confirmed the tragedy to SaharaReporters said the incident happened last Thursday while Nkiru was on duty to enforce the curfew imposed by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, following the looting of government and private warehouses in the state.
It was learnt that Nkiru who appeared to be visibly erratic threatened to shoot several other motorists who encountered her at the checkpoint.
A female police officer, a medical doctor and a journalist recounted their bitter experiences with Nkiru while driving to work.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, the police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, "She actually surprised me by her extremely hostile looks when I arrived at the checkpoint on my way to work.
"Despite flashing my police identity card, with an explanation that I was going to work, she yelled, ordering me to pull over because I had run into the curfew time.
"When I tried to explain that the terms of the curfew exclude all persons on essential duty with a valid identity card, she got provoked and threatened to shoot me. Thankfully, her senior colleague beckoned to me to proceed."
A medical doctor at the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital also narrated, "I was on my to the hospital when she stopped me insisting that it was curfew time and that nobody was allowed to move around."
Similarly, a journalist who was monitoring public compliance during the curfew said, "She looked weird all of the times I drove by. In fact, I probably may have been her victim, except for my air force officer friend who was with me at a point."
Lieutenant Zira, whom she killed after firing several bullets at him, had alighted from the passenger seat of a car to identify himself and to possibly scold her for misrepresenting the military through her erratic behaviour.
When contacted on the matter, the brigade commander of 23 brigade Yola, Brigadier General Gambo Mohammed, denied there was any death, saying, "There was only an accidental discharge."
When asked to explain the whereabouts of Lieutenant Zira, he simply said, "I cannot speak further on this matter, I advise that you refer to General Nwachukwu from the Army headquarters."
On his part, Gen. Nwachukwu did not immediately answer calls.