Nigerian soldier 'suffering from depression' kills 4 colleagues

A Nigerian soldier who was serving at Army Super Camp 15 at Malam Fatori, Borno State, killed four of his colleagues before killing himself on Wednesday, Daily Trust reported quoting a Nigerian Army Spokesperson.

Colonel Sagir Musa, Nigerian Army Spokesperson said in a statement that the soldier "a corporal of the Nigerian Army serving at Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Army Super Camp 15, Malam Fatori, went berserk in early hours of February 26, 2020, and opened fire, killing four of his colleagues before shooting himself. Two of his colleagues were also injured during the incident and are currently in stable condition in our hospital in Maiduguri".

The soldier was reportedly "suffering from depression" as a result of family issues, the reported said quoting sources. However, reports of mental health problems among soldiers serving in the Northeast are not new. Because of the distinctive nature of the war against Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism, soldiers who are located in the Northeast spend almost one year before being allowed to visit their families. Normally, soldiers are supposed to go on pass every three months.

In 2018, a soldier committed suicide in the same Borno State after killing one of his colleagues. In the same year, another soldier opened fire at a military facility in Abuja, killing one colleague and injuring another before fatally shooting and shattering his own mouth with a rifle according to a media report.