Former soldiers have been arrested for allegedly killing a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officer in Niger State. The incident occurred on March 9 near Ramat Junction in Bida Local Government Area, as reported by SP Waisu Abiodun, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Niger Command, to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

“On March 9, at approximately 6:20 pm, a team of NDLEA officers was conducting a stop-and-search operation at Ramat Junction, Bida, when two men, suspected to be soldiers but not in uniform, were intercepted on a motorcycle,” Abiodun explained.

“The officers requested identification, which the suspects failed to provide, although nothing incriminating was found on them. An altercation ensued during the search, after which the suspects left the scene. They later returned with reinforcements and allegedly attacked the NDLEA officers.”

During the altercation, NDLEA officer Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed in the back with a jackknife, and his rifle was taken. Chimetalo was transported to the Federal Medical Centre in Bida, where he was pronounced dead.

Police operatives from ‘A’ Division Bida launched an investigation, recovering Chimetalo’s rifle in a nearby bush, though the magazine was missing. The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the 18 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Bida, identified six soldiers who were subsequently court-martialled and dismissed, while two suspects escaped.

The identified suspects are Sani Munzani and Abubakar Auwalu from Kano State, Abubakar Sani from Kebbi, and Muazu Hassan from Edo. They were handed over to the police on Monday for prosecution, with Munzani confessing to the stabbing of the NDLEA officer.

Abiodun stated that the suspects are currently under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna and will be charged to court for prosecution once the investigation is concluded.