A Nigerian soldier, Barry Francis Neji, who reportedly spent the last nine years fighting insurgency in the North-East, was shot dead by armed men while traveling to resume duty in Borno State after returning from medical leave.
The deceased, who was serving at Bonny Camp in Port Harcourt before his deployment to the counter-insurgency operation in Borno, had reportedly fallen ill and was granted leave by the Nigerian Army to seek medical treatment.
According to information made available to CSO News 24, Neji had completed his treatment and was directed to return to his duty post in Borno State. He boarded a Sienna commercial vehicle bound for Gombe on Saturday, July 19, 2026, from where he was expected to continue his journey to Borno state.
Tragedy, however, struck at Akwanga in Nasarawa State when the vehicle encountered a group of armed men dressed in military uniforms.
Sources familiar with the incident said the armed men had mounted a stop point and were allegedly assaulting commercial drivers. Believing they were fellow soldiers because of their military attire, Neji reportedly approached them.
He was allegedly shot instantly after they discovered he was a serving soldier.
The attackers fled the scene, leaving the soldier fatally wounded.
His body was later discovered by Nigerian soldiers who arrived at the location. The remains were evacuated to the General Hospital, Keffi, where they were deposited on Sunday morning.
The deceased’s family became aware of the incident after one of the soldiers involved in recovering the body contacted his younger brother, Mr. Emmanuel Neji, to inform him of the tragic development.
The killing has left family members and acquaintances in shock, particularly given Neji’s years of service on the frontlines of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Nigerian Army or other security agencies regarding the circumstances surrounding the attack, the identity of the assailants, or whether an investigation had been launched.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over the activities of armed criminals operating in military-style uniforms and the growing security risks faced by both civilians and security personnel travelling on Nigerian highways.
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