Air Force Personnel, stationed at the Bakassi IDP Camp in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital allegedly shot a trained dog belonging Borno Journalist in Maiduguri, for want of meat.
The journalist, Mr. James Bwala told newsmen in Maiduguri that, he heard four gunshots, which woke him from sleep early Thursday morning, and thought perhaps a suicide bomber might have been killed trying to infiltrate the Bakassi IDP camp in Maiduguri.
“By the time I stepped out of my house, stained on my gate signaled that all was not well. One of my dogs – Nchabla was shot. The other one- Power was completely devastated. There was no blood on him but he was trying to communicate. So, I patiently studied his emotion and he ran towards the main road towards Bakassi camp and came back. I knew he was trying to show me something and I followed him.
” Power led me to where the shooting took place. There was a stream of blood there. But Nchabla was not there. I asked the people around and they told me the Air Force personnel was responsible. ‘ He shot the dog and a dog ran towards your house, he pursue him and shot again three times,” one of the boys told Bwala.
“This explains what happened. So, I went to see the commander or rather the officer in charge at the Bakassi camp to lay my complaint, but I was told he went out. I explained the situation to the soldiers on guard. My instincts told me they knew something about it, but were trying to cover for whoever among them did the shooting.
” I was angry but there was nothing I could do. They had the guns, they shot my dog, they could shoot anyone. So, I went back home, picked my phone and called Col. Kingsley Samuel, the deputy director army public relations. I explained the situation and he promise to do something about it.
” The issue here is not only about my dog. But where did the soldier get that four bullets to waste on a dog that was neither aggressive nor cross over to the Bakassi Camp the soldier’s area of duty? I as a journalist have attended many sittings at the Military Court holding in Maiduguri. I know the last one had to do with a soldier, who stole ammunition. I think the military authorities need to rise up to check some of these excesses,” Bwala lamented.
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