Why some of us go into robbery in Borno – soldier arrested for stealing a car explains
The Borno State commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Ndatsu on Thursday paraded criminals arrested for various crimes in the state including some serving soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
Some of the solders later owned up and confessed to the crimes blaming poor welfare and remuneration for their actions.
A Private soldier of the Nigeria Army, Igwe Sylvester who is attached to 254 Task Force Battalion in Damboa allegedly connived with one Nnamani Micheal from Enugu state to commit armed robbery case during which they stole a Volkswagen Golf car, valued at N1 million..
The two suspects were later arrested by the police in Bayo local government after a tip-off.
Asked why he went into robbery, the Private soldier said though he regretted his action, he said he was pushed into committing the crime due to the poor remuneration being paid to junior soldiers of the Nigeria army.
“I was posted to Borno since 2015 and for once I was never redeployed outside the theater, ” he said.
“I am married and have children but the money they pay us in the army is just too small. I regret my action and if pardoned or given a second chance I’ll go into business so that I can take care of my family.”
Stealing or robbery is a condemnable act, way out of the standards and ethical conduct of any soldier.
The CP, in his briefing, said the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) had on 15 May arrested another serving soldier of the Nigerian Army, named Corporal Hilary Ozuoma with intake No.09NA/63/3117.
Corporal Ozuoma is attached to 242 Battalion of the Nigeria army in Monguno after he and one Lance Corporal Kolawole Samuel (now at large) “criminally conspired and robbed one Ibrahim Mohammed of Old Airport area, of his tricycle (Keke NAPEP) with body number 471 valued at N600,000.”
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“The other suspect at large (Kolawole Samuel) who was armed with AK 47 rifle fired sporadically and dispossessed the victim of his property, ” the CP said.
He said the investigation is ongoing to arrest the suspect who is at large.
Corporal Uzuoma Godwin told reporters that he was a victim of circumstance, that he was inadvertently lured into the commission of the crime by Lance Corporal Samuel Kolawole, his Course mate at the Depot.
According to him, he was at a drinking joint when Lance Corporal Kolawole came to him and asked him to accompany him to Wulari, on board a chartered a Keke Napep.
“On the way, he was having an issue with the Keke NAPEP rider and I didn’t want to be part of it, so I quickly alighted and took another Keke NAPEP”.
He said it was on the following day that he was later called upon and arrested at the place where Kolawole asked him to join him in order to collect some money.
He said Soldier Kolawole, whom the police said is at large, has been arrested by the military police.
“I don’t know if the army is aware of my being in the detention of the police”, he said.
Another robbery case involving two serving soldiers of the Nigeria Army had to do with two Private soldiers – Private Mohammed Abubakar 17NA/76/15521 and Ibrahim Musa, 17NA/76/4381 of 154 and 151 Alagarno and Banki Junction in Bama local government.
The CP said the two soldiers “criminally conspired with one Mohammed Mustapha of Damboa road and Sani Abdullahi of Bulunkutu Ward in Maiduguri to rob one Sani Abdullahi of Sheraton of his handset valued at N5,000.
The two soldiers insisted that the case for which they were been detained was not a robbery case.
The arrest of the soldiers and their parade has been generated heated discussion amongst Maiduguri public.
The incidents of soldiers arrest is now a cause for worry for residents of Borno over their collective safety especially when security agents saddled with the job of protecting them against Boko Haram, are now picking up arms against them.
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