Soldier nabbed for car snatching in Adamawa

A soldier has been apprehended for alleged car snatching in the Adamawa State capital, Yola.

The soldier, who admitted to the crime, justified it, saying he had not been paid a long time.

The Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, confirmed the incident Tuesday, saying the incident happened in the early hours of the day near a famous part of town called Target Junction.

“The suspects (the soldier and other person) accosted a lady along Target Junction. They pointed a gun at her and asked her to surrender her car, a Toyota Camry, which she obliged.

“Luckily enough, the matter was reported to nearby policemen on duty along the junction who swung into action immediately in collaboration with vigilante operatives and arrested the suspects.

“We were able to recover the snatched car, an AK47 rifle and 35 rounds of ammunition from the suspect,” Nguroje said.

The soldier, who identified himself as Dampa Hyellambamun, told newsmen that he was on special operations from Monguno, Borno State.

“I got a pass to come to Yola from my base in Monguno and the pass had expired since August 10, 2019,” he said.

When asked why he resorted to robbing innocent people instead of defending them, the soldier said he was forced to resort to self help because he had neither received his salary nor allowance for a long time.

He said, “I was given a gun without salary and allowance. What do you want me to do when I’m on the verge of starvation?”