Gunmen wearing military uniforms have shot dead a Nigerian Army corporal at a checkpoint in Edo State, raising fresh concerns over the proliferation of fake checkpoints and the use of military attire by criminal elements along major highways.
The victim, identified as Corporal Irabo, was travelling back to Abuja after the expiration of his pass when the vehicle conveying him was stopped on Tuesday by armed men suspected to be impostors posing as soldiers.
A security source told Starnews NG that the assailants ordered all passengers to identify themselves. Believing the men were genuine military personnel, Corporal Irabo identified himself as a serving soldier and was immediately shot at close range.
“The soldier was on his way back to his unit in Abuja after his pass expired,” the source said. “At a checkpoint in Edo State, some men dressed in military uniforms stopped their vehicle and asked passengers to identify themselves. Thinking they were his colleagues, he identified himself as a soldier and was shot instantly.”
The corporal reportedly died on the spot from gunshot wounds, while the attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
The incident has heightened fears over insecurity on Nigerian roads, particularly the increasing use of military uniforms by criminals to mount illegal checkpoints and carry out violent attacks.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Army nor the Edo State Police Command had issued an official statement on the killing.
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