By George Ozalla
A senior Nigerian Naval Officer, Lieutenant Commodore M. Buba, has been fatally stabbed by a phone thief in Kaduna. The incident occurred near the Kawo bridge when the officer, who was attending a course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, had a flat tyre while returning to the naval base.
According to eyewitnesses, the officer stepped out of his vehicle to change the tyre when the phone thief suddenly appeared, demanding his phone. The officer’s refusal to comply led to a fatal confrontation, with the thief stabbing him in the chest with a locally made knife.
A local vigilante, Suleiman Dahiru, who tried to intervene, was also stabbed in the hand. However, the phone thief was overpowered and lynched by bystanders. The injured naval officer was rushed to Manuel Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. His remains were later taken to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital mortuary in Kaduna.
The Kaduna State Police Command has deployed plainclothes troops and security personnel for covert operations to identify and apprehend criminal elements in the area. The police spokesperson, ASP Mansir Hassan, described the incident as “unfortunate” and assured the public that police operatives are working diligently to secure the area and the state.
