Army Major commits suicide in Kaduna

A former Battalion Commanding Officer who led the fight against Boko Haram in the North-East, Major UJ Undianyede, has reportedly committed suicide.

The Major was said to have killed himself less than 72 hours to the verdict of a court-martial trying him for alleged military infractions during the war.

The sources, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday night, said Undianyede killed himself on Monday on the premises of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna, with his service pistol.

“I think he killed himself because of the judgment of the court-martial which has been fixed for tomorrow (today, May 19). We only learnt about his death today (Wednesday).

“In prosecuting the war, the Major with some of his colleagues allegedly committed some infractions for which he was being tried at the 1 Division in Kaduna,” Daily Trust quoted one of the sources as saying.

It was further gathered that the offences listed against the deceased officer by the court martial in the 1 Division included misappropriation of funds, abandonment of military post, insubordination, and desertion, among others.

Another source, however, attributed the Major’s death to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), noting that he had been in the North-East for some time battling Boko Haram terrorists.

The Major, a Course 55 Regular Officer and other members of his class, were said to be due for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel this September.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said he had not been briefed.

The Star

Segun Ojo