Soldier shoots suspected robber dead during attempted escape from Minna barracks

A suspected armed robber met his end in the early hours of June 23, 2025, during a failed attempt to steal a motorcycle from the Nigerian Army’s 31 Artillery Brigade Tradoc Cantonment in Minna, Niger State.

The incident occurred at about 4:40 a.m. when a patrol officer from the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, identified as Idris Isah, spotted two unidentified individuals attempting to push a motorcycle through the rear section of the barracks fence.

According to preliminary reports, when the officer confronted the suspects, one of them charged at him with a machete. Acting in self-defence, the soldier opened fire, fatally wounding the assailant in the left side of his body.

The second suspect reportedly fled the scene and is currently at large. Security within and around the barracks has since been intensified as investigations continue into the attempted theft and identity of the suspects.

The injured suspect was immediately taken to the Military Hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. His identity is yet to be ascertained.

Following the incident, detectives led by the Divisional Crime Officer, ASP Dakum Koptikhin, visited the scene. Photographs were taken and relevant exhibits were recovered. The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Specialist Hospital mortuary.