Army Confirms Death Of Soldier Who Shot Himself In The Head

A soldier affiliated with the 35 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Abeokuta tragically lost his life after accidentally shooting himself in the head.

The spokesperson of the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, overseeing the brigade, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni confirmed the incident on Wednesday.

Ayeni reported that upon hearing the accidental gunshot, the soldier’s colleagues hurried to the location, discovering him in a critical condition, surrounded by his own blood.

“Investigation has since started to unravel the circumstances and possible remote cause of the unfortunate incident.

“The remains of the soldier have been evacuated and deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta,” Ayeni stated.

Ayeni urged the public to dismiss circulating speculations on social media suggesting that the soldier took his own life due to non-payment of Ration Cash Allowance.

“The late soldier was deployed to the Brigade Standby Force on Jan.15 alongside his colleagues, and they were adequately fed in line with the Nigerian Army’s standard for troops on duty.

“The division feels deeply concerned that some mischief makers will employ such sad occurrence to malign the image of the Nigerian Army,” Ayeni stressed.

He further mentioned that the division, via the Commander of the 35 Artillery Brigade, had notified the family of the deceased and conveyed sincere condolences and sympathy for the unfortunate incident.

“It is pertinent to reiterate that the division is committed to providing necessary welfare required to boost the morale of troops.

“Therefore, the division will not under any guise take the welfare of its troops lightly as being wrongly insinuated,” Ayeni also stated.