Abia killing: Army dismisses killer soldier for prosecution

*As Buratai tasks RSMs to acquire ICT skills

The 82 Division of the Nigerian Army has dismissed Lance Cpl. Ajayi Johnson, who allegedly killed a commercial motorcyclist, Mr Chimaobi Nwogu, at Umoukereke Ngwa in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia.

The Deputy Director, Public Relations of the division, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, announced this in a statement issued in Enugu on Wednesday.

Yusuf stated that Johnson had been handed over to the police command in Abia for prosecution.

It would be recalled that the suspect had on August 7, 2019 allegedly shot Nwaogu for reportedly failing to drop N100 at a military checkpoint, killing him on the spot.

The army later arrested him and, according to Yusuf, he was tried in accordance with extant rules and regulations of the Nigerian Army.

Yusuf said that Johnson had been dully charged, tried and reduced to the rank of a private and subsequently dismissed from service.

“He is, hereby, formally handed over to the Nigerian Police Force, Abia state command today Wednesday August 21, 2019 for further necessary action.

“The 82 Division will not condone any act of lawlessness and unprofessional conduct from any of its personnel, and wherever that happens, decisive action will surely be taken against erring personnel,” he further stated.

He stated that the Nigerian Army would continue to discharge its core mandate in protecting lives and property of all Nigerians as provided in the Constitution.

And in a related development, the Chief Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has charged Regiment Sergeant Majors (RS) in the Nigerian army to acquire skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to remain relevant.

Buratai gave the charge at the opening of RSM annual convention on Wednesday in Kaduna.

The News Agency report that the theme of the convention in which 306 RSMs are participating was: “Professionalism Through Regimentation in the Nigerian Army.’’

Buratai said: “Nowadays in our regimentation, you must embrace ICT. You must embrace the quest to be digital, and I expect you all to no longer be analogue but digital.’’

He said that was necessary because of the involvement of the army with enemies who had gone digital in operations.