Pulse had reported that Gashua was killed on Friday night, allegedly by two soldiers near Jaji Maji in Karasuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Confirming the incident, the Assistant Director, Public Relations, Headquarters Sector 2 Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, in a statement said the Sector, in collaboration with the Yobe State Police Command, would carry out an investigation to unravel the identity of the suspected soldiers.
He added that the soldiers would be made to face the full wrath of military and civil laws at the end of the investigation, if found guilty.
The Sector, while regretting the incident, commiserated with the family of the victim and promised to deliver justice.
The statement reads in part, “The Sector, in collaboration with Yobe State Police Command, is carrying out an investigation to unravel the identity of the suspected soldiers.
“Additionally, the Sector has instituted a Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstance surrounding the unfortunate incident. At the end of the investigation, the soldiers will be made to face the full wrath of both military and civil laws.
“This incident is highly regrettable, given the Sector’s disposition and zero tolerance for violation of the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for troops".
The Sector however, wishes to commiserate with the family of the victim and the good people of Yobe State and promise that justice would be served accordingly.
Recall that police in Yobe had arrested to men who claimed to be soldiers over the murder of the Islamic cleric.
Mr Gashua was killed last Friday August 21, 2022, near Jaji Maji in Karasuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Yobe, Dungus Abdulkareem, who confirmed the incident said, “details of the incident would be relayed to the general public in a few days.”
“I can confirm that the soldiers are in our (police) custody. But I will give out details to the general public in a few days,” Mr Abdulkareem, a deputy superintendent of police, said.
He said, “the two soldiers have confessed to the crime but investigation is still ongoing.”
The police spokesperson refused to confirm the names of the soldiers.
Pulse learnt that two similar incidents have happened in the State. One of the incidents happened near the State University Teaching Hospital, Damaturu, where the victim was killed and his car carted away. The attackers in that incident are yet to be identified.
Another incident happened at Pompomari where a woman was robbed in similar circumstances and the perpetrators were later arrested and were identified as soldiers.