Gunmen Kill Military Officer In Anambra One Week To Wedding

Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have shot dead a Nigerian Navy personnel, Faruk Yusuf, who was deployed to Onitsha in Anambra State.

The killing is coming one week to the wedding ceremony of Faruk, who hailed from Unguwan Sarki area of the Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

It was learnt that the police had launched a manhunt for the killers.

Anambra State has recently become notorious for killing uniformed personnel such as the police and the military, by suspected ethnic militias and allegedly by operatives of the Eastern Security Network.

The Nigerian Navy has not officially reacted to Yusuf’s killing, but it was learnt that some arrests had been made in connection with the incident.

A source in Onitsha familiar with the incident noted that the activities of the gunmen needed to be urgently curtailed.

He said, “Yusuf was posted to Onitsha in Anambra State amidst all the unrest in that region. He was preparing to tie the knot next week with his betrothed but his life was cut short by gunmen who waylaid him in Onitsha.

“The late Yusuf hailed from Unguwan Sarki area of Biu LGA in Borno State. There is tension as the military could embark on raids and reprisal arrests and torture and even killing. The situation in Onitsha is palpable because the military is going to strike back. The activities of the rampaging gunmen need to be curtailed.

“Killing someone just a week before his wedding is indeed very agonising and condemnable. This is a moment of great agony for the relatives, friends and family of the deceased. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”

“The naval authorities in Anambra State have already launched an investigation into the murder. They are looking for the assailants and we are hopeful we will get them. This is indeed wickedness of the highest order by these gunmen. The cold-blooded murder of a military personnel will never be overlooked by the authorities,” another military source told newsmen.