Army dismisses soldier for alleged kidnapping, robbery

By Emma Amaize
WARRI — A soldier attached to the 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, Delta State, has been dismissed and handed over to the police for prosecution over his alleged involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery.

The dismissed soldier and others were said to have formed  a kidnap/armed robbery syndicate, which  specialized in kidnapping drivers and hijacking loaded petroleum trucks, within and outside Delta State.

They usually held their victims hostage until the hijacked product was sold and discharged.

Members of the gang who were arrested, last year, by the police confessed the involvement of the soldier, but the police could not arrest him because of the misunderstanding with the army authorities on his complicity.

A military source confirmed to Vanguard, yesterday, that the private was fired after a newspaper report chronicling his involvement with a gang.

DeltaState Commissioner of Police and internationally acclaimed crime fighter, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, confirmed to Vanguard when contacted that the army private had been handed over to  the police.