A security source told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred on Tuesday when the vehicle conveying the soldier was stopped at a checkpoint manned by armed men suspected to be impostors posing as military personnel.
Gunmen wearing military uniforms have shot and killed a Nigerian soldier, identified as Corporal Irabo, at a checkpoint in Edo State while he was travelling back to Abuja after the expiration of his pass.
A security source told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred on Tuesday when the vehicle conveying the soldier was stopped at a checkpoint manned by armed men suspected to be impostors posing as military personnel.
According to the source, the gunmen ordered all passengers in the vehicle to identify themselves. Believing they were genuine soldiers, Corporal Irabo reportedly identified himself as a serving soldier.
However, he was immediately shot at close range.
“The soldier was on his way back to his unit in Abuja after the expiration of his pass,” the source said.
“At a checkpoint in Edo State, some men dressed in military uniforms stopped their vehicle and asked the passengers to identify themselves. Thinking they were his colleagues, he identified himself as a soldier and was shot instantly.”
The source further disclosed that the soldier died on the spot from gunshot wounds inflicted by the attackers, who fled the scene after the shooting.
The killing adds to growing concerns over the proliferation of fake checkpoints and the increasing use of military uniforms by criminal elements across the country, particularly along major highways.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no statement from the Nigerian Army or the Edo State Police Command regarding the incident.
WATCH: Gunmen In Military Uniforms Kill Nigerian Soldier At Edo Checkpoint pic.twitter.com/nlfJn2kcO3
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