By Michael Chukwuebuka, Reporting
A trigger-happy soldier of the Nigerian Army has reportedly killed a 27-year-old tax collector at Onitsha headbridge, Anambra State.
Stonix News gathered that one of the soldiers at a checkpoint at the Onitsha bridgehead wanted to shoot in the air to disperse traffic violators, but mistakenly hit the boy.
A witness said the soldiers were pursuing and smashing mirrors of some commercial vehicles who were plying one-way drive to cross the bridge when the incident happened.
“As the soldiers were trying to stop the motorists from plying one-way.
“They were running to escape, one of the soldiers pulled his gun and shot in the air, but the bullet hit one of the revenue collectors who was across the road and killed him instantly.
‘The killing of the boy wanted to cause a problem as many traders and other passersby mobilized to attack the soldiers, but they called for reinforcement from the barrack and they brought more soldiers and armoured personnel carrier to the scene.
‘The prompt intervention of a senior Army officer, a major and Onitsha Police Area Commander, saved the situation and the soldier was whisked away,’ the source narrated.
It was gathered that the corpse of the boy was later taken away probably to be deposited at the morgue.
A tight security beef up followed at bridgehead as many security operatives were stationed there to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
