LAGOS JUNE 22ND (NEWSRANGERS)-A Nigerian Army captain on deployment in the North-east has committed suicide, PREMIUM TIMES can report.
The officer flipped his rifle towards own stomach and opened fired. The incident occurred at the 7 Division Medical Centre in Maiduguri on June 18, military sources said.
He was referred to the facility for medical examination and treatments.
The medium is withholding the officer’s name because it is not clear whether his family members have been notified.
He was drafted to the North-east as part of the war against Boko Haram from the Nigerian Army 22 Armoured Brigade in Ilorin.
The brigade has notified appropriate authorities of the development, including the Defence Headquarters.
Before the officer killed himself, he threatened shooting a storekeeper at the medical centre armoury, who fled for safety.
After the scare, the captain killed himself. He was rushed for treatment, but passed on shortly thereafter.
The officer was attached to troops operating in Mafa Local Government Area, Borno State, the heart of Boko Haram onslaught. He collected his gun from the armoury on June 18, saying he was returning to Mafa to join his team the next day.
The nature of his ailments prior to the suicide could not be ascertained before this story was completed.
The Defence Headquarters and the 7 Division spokespersons did not return requests for comments Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
The incident occurred seven months after a soldier opened fire on a captain, killing him before killing himself. That sparked renewed fears about post traumatic stress disorder amongst troops combating insurgents.
The military said the matter would be investigated, but the outcome remained unknown.
The Nigerian military has been busy for close to a decade fighting a deadly insurgency in the North. Several officers and soldiers have died in battle.