The Nigerian Army has attributed the death of a soldier deployed for standby duty at Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army Cantonment in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to accidental discharge due to negligence.
This is contrary to media reports that a soldier of 35 Artillery Brigade terminated his life due to non-payment of Ration Cash Allowance (RCA).
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A statement by the acting deputy director of army public relations 81 Division Lt. Col. Olabisi Ayeni, said investigation revealed that the deceased handled his personal weapon negligently and misfired, which resulted to his death last Monday.
He said the late soldier was deployed on Brigade Standby Force on Monday, January 15, 2024 with his colleagues for daily cantonment duty and were adequately fed in line with the Nigerian Army’s standard for troops on duties.
“Investigation into the immediate cause of the incident indicated that the deceased soldier reportedly handled his personal weapon negligently and misfired, which resulted to his death.
“His colleagues who heard the sound of gunshot had rushed to the scene of the incident, only to find the soldier in the pool of his blood with gunshot wounds on the head,” he said.
The statement said further investigation has since commenced to unravel the circumstances and possible remote cause of the unfortunate incident, adding that the remains of the soldier has been evacuated and deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta.
Ayeni stated that the Division, through the commander 35 Artillery Brigade, has informed the deceased family and also expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy over the unfortunate incident.
He reiterated that the Division is committed to providing necessary welfare required to boost the morale of troops under command in line with the Chief of Army Staff Command Philosophy.
“Therefore, the division will not under any guise take the welfare of its troops lightly as wrongly insinuated,” he said.