Nigerian Army Refutes Claims of Soldier’s Suicide, Cites Negligence in Firearm Handling
Nigerian Army Refutes Claims of Soldier’s Suicide, Cites Negligence in Firearm Handling
By Matthew Eloyi
The Nigerian Army’s 81 Division has categorically denied reports suggesting that its operative, Boyi ThankGod, attached to the 35 Artillery Brigade in Alamala, Abeokuta, Ogun State, shot himself dead. The division contends that ThankGod, instead, lost his life due to negligence in handling his firearms.
The incident occurred on Monday during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, where ThankGod, on barracks standby duty at the 35 Brigade headquarters, allegedly shot himself in the head, resulting in an immediate fatality.
Initial reports from an anonymous source had indicated that the soldier took his own life, citing depression and low morale within the system. Friends of ThankGod were quoted expressing his waning interest in the Army job, along with grievances about corruption in the military and low morale.
However, in a statement released on Wednesday by Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, the acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, the military refuted these claims as insinuations and misrepresentations of the incident.
The statement clarified that reports circulating on social media platforms alleging that ThankGod terminated his life due to non-payment of Ration Cash Allowance were baseless.
Quoting the statement, “Nevertheless, for the sake of posterity, it needs to be mentioned that the late soldier was deployed at the Brigade Standby Force on Monday, January 15, 2024, alongside his colleagues for daily cantonment duty, and they were adequately fed in line with NA’s standard for troops’ on duties.”
The investigation into the incident suggests that ThankGod negligently mishandled his personal weapon, leading to the fatal misfire. Colleagues who rushed to the scene found him with gunshot wounds on the head.
The Division expressed its commitment to providing the necessary welfare to boost troop morale and emphasized that it would not take lightly any insinuations about neglecting the welfare of its troops.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding ThankGod’s death is ongoing, and the Division has extended condolences to the deceased soldier’s family. The remains have been evacuated and deposited at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta.
