Soldier Sentenced to Death for Killing Tricycle Rider in Bauchi State

In a chilling verdict that underscores the gravity of betrayal within the ranks of those sworn to protect, a General Court Martial sitting at Maxwell Khobe Cantonment in Jos has sentenced Private Lukman Musa of the 3 Division, Nigerian Army, to death by hanging for the brutal murder of a tricycle rider in Bauchi State.

The ruling, delivered on Thursday, September 18, 2025, by the court’s president, Brigadier General Liafis Bello, found Musa guilty of murder, culpable homicide, and unlawful possession of ammunition, bringing to light one of the darkest episodes of abuse of military power in recent years.

Court proceedings revealed the sinister plot behind the crime. Musa, acting with an accomplice identified only as Oba, lured the unsuspecting victim, Abdulrahman Isa, to his residence under the pretense of helping him move his belongings.

Once there, Isa was struck on the head with a wooden object before being strangled to death in cold blood. In an attempt to erase evidence of his crime, Musa stuffed the victim’s lifeless body into a sack and dumped it in a deserted spot between Shira and Yala villages. The tricycle, Isa’s only means of livelihood, was later sold off like common loot.

The court further uncovered that Musa was found in possession of 34 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition without authorization, an offense that highlighted not only his disregard for military discipline but also his descent into criminality. In his scathing judgment, Brigadier General Bello did not mince words.

He described Musa’s act as “barbaric and heartless,” stressing that the soldier had trampled upon the sacred duty of the military to protect Nigerian citizens. “You mercilessly metamorphosed from a defender of citizens to a killer. Your action is an embarrassment and disgrace to the Nigerian Army,” he declared, his words echoing the collective disappointment of a nation that entrusts its soldiers with both safety and honor.

For the family of Abdulrahman Isa, the tricycle rider who met his end in such a cruel fashion, the verdict may bring a measure of justice but can never replace the life so violently taken. Isa was an ordinary Nigerian, hustling daily on the streets of Bauchi to provide for his loved ones, yet he became the victim of a soldier who abandoned the very essence of his oath. For the Army, the sentence serves as a stark warning to others who might think of crossing the thin line between authority and lawlessness.

Musa’s conviction under Section 220 of the Penal Code and sentencing under Section 221, which prescribes death by hanging for such a crime, now stand as a grim reminder that the uniform does not grant immunity from justice.

The Nigerian Army has long battled with perception issues, ranging from accusations of brutality to complicity in extrajudicial killings, and the judgment handed down in this case will be seen as both a punishment and a symbolic attempt to restore public faith in the institution.

As the gavel fell in Jos, the courtroom carried the heavy silence of consequence. For Private Lukman Musa, the journey from soldier to condemned man was complete, and for Nigeria, the story was yet another painful reminder of how thin the line between protector and predator can be when the values of service and discipline are abandoned.