Tension As Police Inspector Kills Army Officer at Checkpoint

A tragic clash between security operatives in Bauchi State has left a senior Nigerian Army officer dead after he was allegedly shot by a mobile police inspector during a routine stop-and-search operation.

The incident occurred on August 25 at about 7:50 p.m. in Futuk, Alkaleri Local Government Area, when troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade stopped a truck suspected of transporting illegally mined solid minerals. The vehicle, with registration number Gombe 676 BLG, was reportedly being escorted by Police Inspector Yusuf Ibrahim.

According to information released by security analyst Zagazola Makama, the truck driver initially defied the soldiers’ orders to halt, prompting Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Ali Haruna and his team to pursue the vehicle on motorbikes until it was eventually intercepted. At that point, Inspector Ibrahim allegedly opened fire on Haruna, shooting him in the stomach.

“The soldiers immediately overpowered the policeman and disarmed him, while the injured officer was rushed to the Gombe Specialist Hospital for urgent medical treatment,” Makama posted. “He later died from the gunshot wound. Sources further disclosed that the truck driver escaped in the chaos that followed.”

Preliminary findings indicate that the truck was carrying solid minerals illegally extracted from Yalo community in Alkaleri LGA, and that the police inspector was providing escort duty outside the scope of the law.

Observers have described the sequence of events — the driver’s refusal to stop, the inspector’s decision to open fire on soldiers, and the driver’s escape — as “highly suspicious” and warranting a deeper probe.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police has held a meeting with Brig.-Gen. U.J. Simon, Commander of the 33 Artillery Brigade, to calm tensions between the two security agencies and to ensure that the incident is thoroughly investigated.