Reports confirm the death of Sergeant Rowland Tafida, a police officer allegedly shot with an anti-aircraft gun (AAG) by a soldier after an altercation at Makara Area of Gwoza Local Government Area (LGA) in Borno State.
The father of two had been deployed to Gwoza last August as part of the MOPOL Special Forces Team on counter-insurgency operations. He was expected to complete his sixth month of anti-terrorism operation on February 8, 2020, before the tragic incident occurred on Saturday, February 1.
An eyewitness revealed, “The whole drama started with an altercation between the army corporal and another police personnel over a girlfriend. Some people intervened and settled the matter when the aggrieved army corporal asked a driver to turn their military vehicle to face the Limankara Police Training Camp and opened fire, resulting in the stray bullet that fatally hit Sergeant Tafida.”
A witness confirmed the rising tension that followed, with police officers at Limankara camp protesting the killing of their colleague. An Army Major intervened to restore order, preventing further escalation of the situation.
The soldier responsible for the incident has been apprehended and taken to Maimalari Barrack in Maiduguri for questioning.
The late Sergeant Tafida’s aunt, Zwancit Dazang, expressed her grief on Facebook, demanding justice and denouncing the senseless killing of innocent citizens.
