The Bauchi State Police Command has appealed for calm as security agencies launch a joint investigation into the killing of a soldier in Alkaleri Local Government Area.
The State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, made the appeal in a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, CSP Ahmed Wakil, on Friday in Bauchi.
Aliyu described some media reports on the incident as “misleading and a misrepresentation of facts,” stressing that such accounts did not accurately reflect what transpired.
According to the police, the incident occurred on August 25 at about 7:50 p.m., when troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, attempted to intercept a truck suspected of transporting solid minerals from Futuk village.
Zagazola Makama reports that during the encounter, Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Ali Haruna of the Nigerian Army was shot by a mobile police inspector, Yusuf Ibrahim, who was on an approved security assignment to a mining company operating in the area.
Haruna was rushed to the Gombe Specialist Hospital but later died from gunshot injuries.
Preliminary investigations, the police said, revealed that the truck belonged to Guruje Mining Company Limited and ZURFI Company Limited, both of which possess valid Federal Government licences to extract lead and zinc in Alkaleri.
“The officers attached to the companies were formally requested and approved to provide security for expatriate workers and other operations of the firm. Inspector Yusuf Ibrahim was one of the officers assigned to this duty,” the statement clarified.
The Commissioner of Police disclosed that a combined team of police detectives and military police had been set up to investigate thoroughly both the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
He assured that the probe would be evidence-based, transparent, and aimed at ensuring justice.
Aliyu also condoled the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, and the family of the late officer, praying for God’s guidance and strength to bear the loss.
The commissioner further urged journalists to uphold professionalism and verify information through official channels, warning that unverified reports could undermine inter-agency collaboration and erode public confidence.
