Four of six ex-soldiers who allegedly killed a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officer, Kingsley Chimetalo, have been arrested by the police in Niger State.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the suspects include; Sani Munzani 24 years, and Abubakar Auwalu 26 years, both from Kano State as well as Abubakar Sani, 23 years and Muazu Hassan, 22 years from Kebbi and Edo states respectively.
He said; “During the painstaking investigation in collaboration with the 18 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bida, six soldiers were later identified, court martialed and dismissed, while two escaped.”
He said a team of NDLEA officers were on stop and search operation at Ramat Junction, Bida while two suspected soldiers who were not in uniform, on a motorcycle got to the point and they were intercepted by the NDLEA team. The team requested their identification, but they could not establish a proper means of identification, and their bag was searched but nothing incriminating was found.
“In the course of this, there was an argument and altercation, and after the search, the soldiers left the scene and returned with more men to the scene for an alleged attack. Unfortunately, during the fight, an officer of the NDLEA named Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed at the back with a jack-knife by one of the said.
He added that the injured officer was taken to FMC Bida where he later died, adding that in the course of the investigation by the A Division Bida, the officer’s rifle was later recovered in a nearby bush where it was dumped without a magazine.
The PPRO said the four suspects were handed over to the police for prosecution, while Sani Munzani confessed to the stabbing.