THE Nigerian Army is now in the crosshairs of a grieving father whose son was allegedly killed by one of the Army’s soldiers in the restive middle-belt city of jos, last November.
Mr. Sharu Sule filed the case at the Federal High Court in Jos on Thursday, demanding 100 million naira as compensation from the Army for the alleged death of his son at the hands of Ademola Sunday, a soldier serving with the Joint Task Force in Jos.
The Joint Task Force in Jos is one of several such joint forces operations established to tackle security challenges in flash points around the country.
Eleven others were joined others in Mr. Sule’s suit, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, the STF, Army, Navy and the Nigeria Police as defendants.
Sule alleged that the soldier was always hiring Kabiru, a commercial driver, to take him and his girl friend to recreational spots but that on that faithful day his son did not return.
The father of the deceased alleged that the soldier killed Kabiru and dumped his corpse in a refuse dump in Ungwasn Rukuba, where some people found it and reported to the security operatives.
He said that the STF, subsequently, invited the police which took the corpse away.
Sule through his Counsel, Mr Aminu Umar, also prayed the court to declare the killing of Kabiru as “illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional“.
He alleged that the killing of Kabiru was a violation of his fundamental right to life as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
The plaintiff said that Kabiru, who was the family’s bread winner, was murdered two weeks to his wedding.
When the case came before Justice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Umar, told the court that he was ready to go on with the case.
However, Mr Oluwafemi Awede, the Defence Counsel to the Nigerian Army, objected, saying that he needed more time to reply to the plaintiff’s writ.
The judge adjourned the case to May 20, for hearing.