Police arrest 2 fake soldiers for killing cleric in Yobe

The Yobe State Police Command says its operatives have arrested two suspected killers of an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Goni Aisami.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital on Saturday.

Abdulkarim said the two suspects claimed to be soldiers attached to 241 Recce Model Battalion, Nguru.

He said the incident occurred at about 10 p.m. on Friday after Aisami gave one of the suspects a lift.

The police spokesperson stated that Aisami was driving his car to Gashua from Nguru, when the principal suspect who was in mufti and carrying a camp bed, pleaded with him for a lift to Jaji-Maji.

“On approaching Jaji-Maji, the cleric stopped the car to urinate,” he said, adding that as soon as he returned to continue the journey, the principal suspect brought out an AK-47 and shot him twice to death.

Abdulkarim further stated that the suspect tried to flee with the deceased’s car but failed, as it got stuck in a mud and the vehicle failed to start.

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“He put a call through to the second suspect, who drove another vehicle to the scene. Unfortunately for him, his drive shaft broke.

“The two suspects then requested for help from a vigilance group in Jaji-Maji.

“When the group arrived the scene to tow the broken down vehicles, incidentally Aisami’s body was found at the scene,” the police spokesman said.

Abdulkarim added that the vigilance group later drew the attention of the police to the incident which led to the arrest of the suspects, who said they were soldiers.

He noted that the police recovered the gun and the two cars, adding that effort was ongoing to confirm the identity of the suspects.

Abdulkarim said the suspects would be prosecuted after completion of investigation.

The Star