Three bandits, including a soldier detained for refusing to fight Boko Haram in Borno State, have escaped from the custody of the Nigerian Army at the Chari Maigumeri Barracks, Lokoja, Kogi State, Punch reports.
The soldier was said to have been moved from Maiduguri to Lokoja when he resisted fighting Boko Haram insurgents and detained alongside three suspected bandits.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Sunday when Lokoja witnessed its first rain.
A source disclosed that the Army had intensified efforts to recapture the bandits and the soldier.
The source stated, “The Army is making frantic efforts to arrest the four suspects. From what we learnt, the soldier was seen with a rifle as he aided the escape of the three bandits.
“He had been in our cell here, waiting for when he would be tried. Unfortunately, when it rained heavily on Sunday, the soldier used the opportunity to escape when officers on duty were asleep. As I speak to you, the Army has mounted surveillance in every entry and exit points of Kogi State to ensure that the escapees are re-arrested.”
The Public Relations Officer, Command Army Record, Chari Maigumeri Barracks, Lt David Adewusi, however, denied knowledge of the escape.
“I have no comment to make as I am not aware of anything like that,” he simply said in a response to an enquiry.
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