Soldier arrested for severing Businessman’s fingers in Niger State

Police in Niger State have arrested a serving soldier, Private Sadiq Sani, for allegedly severing three fingers of a businessman, Abdulrahman Salihu, during an altercation in Minna, the state capital.

The incident occurred on March 30, on Eid-el-Fitr day, when Private Sani visited Salihu’s shop in the Makera area of Minna to buy a pair of shoes.

After completing the purchase, Sani requested Salihu’s bank account details to transfer the payment. However, it was later discovered that Sani sent a fake transfer alert.

As a result, Salihu withheld the shoes and insisted on verifying the transaction before completing the sale.

In response, Sani allegedly pulled out a sharp knife and attacked Salihu, severely injuring him and severing three of his fingers before fleeing to his residence in the Limawa area of Minna.

Superintendent Wasi’u Abiodun, the police spokesperson, confirmed the attack, and the suspect was later apprehended at his residence in Makera along with another individual. Both were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.

A military source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that the military has initiated a full-scale investigation into the incident.

The soldier will be evacuated to the Defense Headquarters in Abuja for a court martial, after which he will be returned to the police for further prosecution.