President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday condemned what he called “the unprovoked and cold-blooded murder of a Yobe-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Goni Aisami, by a callous soldier he had offered a lift as confirmed by the police.”
The President, in a statement issued by his media aide, Garba Shehu, said the “barbaric murder of a compassionate man” by a soldier he had assisted had no place in the military training as soldiers.
He said the act negated” the entire ethos of military life” anchored on discipline and respect for the sanctity of innocent lives.
President Buhari called on the military authorities to punish the perpetrators of the heinous crime without delay, and flush out other elements with such criminal tendencies.
According to the President, “as the Commander-in- Chief, I am personally outraged by this criminal and wicked act by a law enforcement official trained to protect life.
“By our training, we are guided by a code of conduct that frowns on this kind of reckless and criminal act. It is not in our character and training to put innocent citizens in harm’s way. Of course, the action of this soldier is an isolated incident involving an individual, but it is capable of staining the collective image of our military.
“This incident is capable of making our fellow citizens to be fearful of assisting soldiers, thereby destroying the bond of trust between our military and the civilians.”
He condoled with Yobe State government, people of the state and family of the victim of this tragedy.
