Soldier Who Killed Islamic Cleric In Yobe Narrates Last Moments With The Sheik

A soldier with the Nigerian Army, Lance Corporal John Gabriel has narrated the last moments just before he killed a popular Islamic cleric in Yobe, Sheik Goni Aisami-Gashua.

Speaking when he was paraded by the police on Wednesday, Gabriel said the cleric asked him if he was about to be killed but he said no.

It will be recalled that Sheikh Aisami was killed last Friday night near Jaji Maji in Karasuwa local government in Yobe after he offered a ride to a soldier who eventually killed him.

The soldier, Lance Corporal Gabriel with registration number N/A13/69/1522  who was attached to 241 Recce Model Battalion, Nguru, tricked the cleric, lured him out of his car and murdered him in cold blood.

The Police subsequently arrested the assailant and paraded him.

It was during the parade that he revealed how the cleric was tricked and killed.

Before killing the cleric, the soldier revealed the Sheikh asked what his offence was and then if he wanted to kill him to which he responded no.

He added that he fired a warning shot but the cleric didn’t run away as expected and that was when he fired directly at him and killed him.

In his words, “We were approaching Jaji-Maji and the windows were wound down, so I told him (the victim) that I was hearing a sound under his vehicle and he said he was suspecting something under it and he wanted to park and check. After he parked by the roadside, he alighted and I followed him. After checking, he found out that it was not what he suspected.

“”Meanwhile, I had removed my rifle and fixed the magazine when he was under the vehicle. When he didn’t find anything under the vehicle, I told him to check the back tyre, but as he was about doing so, I pointed my rifle at him and he asked me, ‘What did I do to you?” And I responded, you did not do anything to me. He asked further, ‘Do you want to kill me?’ And I said, ‘No I don’t want to kill you.’ So, he kept quiet and I fired a warning shot, thinking he would be scared and run away. But he didn’t run away. However as he made to enter his vehicle, I fired directly at him.”