The Defence Headquarters confirmed on Friday that a Naval personnel was shot dead by a colleague in Zamfara State during an undisclosed argument. Leading Seaman LS Akila reportedly opened fire with his service rifle early Friday morning in Dansadau, located in the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Both personnel were serving in Team 3, which was formerly known as Operation Hadarin Daji and is now referred to as Operation Sheto Yanma. The altercation escalated, leading to LS Akila shooting his fellow service member.
Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, stated, “On 25 October 2024, at about 03:12 hours, naval personnel, LS Akila, deployed at FOB Dansadau for Operation Fansan Yamma, opened fire in questionable circumstances, resulting in the death of a fellow military colleague.”
Following the incident, LS Akila was arrested, disarmed, and detained. An investigation into the shooting has commenced, and the case will be escalated to a standing court martial designated to handle such misdemeanours among troops.
General Buba added that the administrative procedure for notifying the deceased’s family is currently underway, which is why the name of the victim has not been publicly released. He urged the media to exercise caution in reporting the incident to avoid further distress for the family of the deceased.