Family says truck driver, who was allegedly beaten to death by a soldier because he would not pay a bribe, was kind and generous and was looking forward to getting married this year.

The family of the truck driver who was allegedly “mercilessly beaten to death” by a soldier at a military checkpoint after refusing to pay a bribe is demanding justice and compensation from the Borno State government and the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Abubakar Mohammed Bello, 35, a resident of Bulabulin, a ward in the Maiduguri Metropolis in Borno State, was reportedly conveying humanitarian aid relief items from Maiduguri to N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, when he was stopped at the checkpoint on the Maiduguri-Dikwa-Gamboru Ngala road on December 26.

Witnesses said that when Bello refused to pay the bribe, he was told to pull over and get out of the truck. A soldier, who is now in custody, allegedly beat him to death.

Ladi Samaila, Bello’s sister described him as a good man and the family’s breadwinner who worked hard and looked after his siblings and grandparents.
She said the last time the family saw Bello was on Thursday, December 21 when he left home to take humanitarian aid relief items to N’Djamena. She said the family was told her brother got into an argument with the soldier who allegedly demanded a bribe from him.

“He refused to pay it and now he is dead. The family is demanding justice and compensation from the Borno State government and the military for his death.

“I heard about Abubakar’s death on Tuesday [December 26]. He was a good provider for his family and the breadwinner.”

Amina Musa, Bello’s younger sister, said Bello was like a father to her and the rest of the family.

“It’s now Friday [December 29] and we still have not received his corpse for his burial. We have been told that it is being kept in the mortuary of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital pending an investigation.

“Abubakar’s death is a great loss to the entire family. He was a kind and generous man. May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him paradise.”

Waziri Ibrahim Abubakar, Bello’s uncle, said his nephew was a truck driver who conveyed goods to remote places in the neighboring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

“He was just 35, young and energetic, and unmarried. He was planning to marry his fiancée in 2024. About three weeks before he died, we were discussing his coming marriage and he was excited and looking forward to starting a new life with his wife.

“Abubakar was an orphan. His father died when he was a just a child. We heard about his death from his elder brother, who lives in Lokoja, the capital city of Kogi State. The soldiers took Abubakar’s cellphone, checked his last call and they found out that it was to his brother in Lokoja. They phoned that number and informed him of his death.

“We are calling on the government to investigate Abubakar’s death. Since the suspected killer was a soldier, we want him to be prosecuted and punished under court martial laws.”

Lieutenant Colonel Ajemusu Jingina, the 7 Division’s deputy director of public relations, confirmed in a statement issued on December 28 that the soldier had been detained and an investigation had commenced.

“Furthermore, engagement has been established with the National Union of Road Transport Workers towards a peaceful resolution. The Division has assured both the family of the deceased and the union of its commitment towards ensuring that justice will be served and no stone will be left unturned.”

After Bello’s death, the union embarked on an indefinite strike, closing the entrances and exits of the Maiduguri-Dikwa-Gamboru Ngala road. It has since suspended the strike and the road has been reopened.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO