The statement said the soldier is in custody and that a thorough investigation is underway.

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the arrest of Lance Corporal Ahmed Aminu over the death of a phone repairer, Alkasim Ibrahim, in the Mayo Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

This was according to a statement released on Saturday, by Lieutenant Adebayo Adewumi, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 23 Armour Brigade, Yola.

The statement said the soldier is in custody and that a thorough investigation is underway.

“The Nigerian Army acknowledges the reported incident with deep concern and wishes to inform the public that the said soldier has since been taken into custody.

“A thorough investigation has been initiated to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident,” the statement read. 

The Brigade spokesman said that the Nigerian  Army’s commitment to professionalism, discipline, and the rule of law cannot be compromised.

He pointed out that any form of misconduct among its personnel cannot be tolerated.

He further assured the public that the outcome of the investigation would be made public to ensure transparency, accountability, and justice.

Recall that SaharaReporters earlier reported how Lance Corporal Ahmada beat a young mobile phone repairer, Alkasum Ibrahim, to death in Adamawa State because of a delay in fixing his girlfriend’s mobile phone.

The tragic incident in Mayo-Belwa, sparked public outrage and calls for justice as details reveal the horrifying misuse of military authority.

Eyewitnesses say the soldier’s girlfriend had earlier brought her phone to Alkasum’s shop for repairs. For reasons yet unknown, possibly due to technical or workload-related issues, the repair wasn't completed on time.

Instead of showing understanding, the woman reportedly called her soldier boyfriend to complain.

Moments later, Lance Corporal Ahmad stormed the workshop in a fit of rage. Without warning, he descended on the unsuspecting technician, raining blows on him in front of stunned onlookers. The brutal assault left Alkasum unconscious, and he later died from his injuries.

“This is heartbreaking,” said an eyewitness, Nuruddeen Abubakar, who watched helplessly as the tragic scene unfolded.

“The boy was just hustling, trying to make ends meet. His only ‘crime’ was not fixing a phone on time. And now, he’s dead.”

To make matters worse, the soldier has since disappeared, leaving behind a devastated family and a community seething with anger.

“How can someone trained to protect life become a killer over a mobile phone? This is lawlessness of the highest order,” a local youth leader told SaharaReporters.

Local human rights groups have now waded into the matter, calling for swift and decisive justice.

“This is not just a case of brutality, it’s murder. The Nigerian military must hand over the suspect for prosecution,” one of the organisations said in a statement.