Sulaiman Muhammad, a captain in the Nigerian Army, was one of the two soldiers killed in a fierce gun battle with bandits in Bawar Daji, Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara state.
DAILY NIGERIAN had reported that the Nigerian Army lost two of its personnel, an officer and a soldier, in the Zamfara gun duel, while the troops killed about 21 bandits.
Mr Muhammad was the officer commanding the troops in Bawar Daji operations before paying the supreme sacrifice to his fatherland.
He is survived by one wife and children.
A native of Potiskum, Yobe State, Mr Muhammad’s colleagues described him as committed and patriotic officer who had demonstrated high level of patriotism in the course of his duties.
DAILY NIGERIAN learnt that the deceased officer had commanded troops in different volatile areas of the nation including the militants in Niger Delta, Boko Haram in Borno, Yobe and Burra in Bauchi and Zamfara states where the gallant officer lost his life in the hands of bandits.
In a chat with his friend before his death, Sheriff Almuhajir, the deceased lamented unfair treatments he, along with other colleagues, were subjected to in the course of their assignments.
The deceased narrated how soldiers in the war front are denied many of their allowances, including how he has been denied to go for five-month training in India.
However, despite his ordeal, Mr Muhammad said he was so happy for being one of the commanding officers that liberated the Damaturu town.
“I feel happy each time I pass through a peaceful Damaturu,” he said in a portion of the chat.
In another chat, Mr Muhammed said he was once abandoned by the Army in Maiduguri after surviving a bomb blast attack.
“I was abandoned in the hospital in Maiduguri after a bomb blast attack. I have to sell some of my personal belongings together with my car to travel to Egypt for a medical treatment, otherwise I could have lost hearing.
“The Yobe State government gave me 500,000 Naira that I will use in catering my medical bills.
“As I’m talking to you, we have 70 soldiers that supposed to be undergoing a course on arms, tanks and communication in India, their passports were collected for visa, their estacodes was at last collected; neither a kobo was given to them nor were they taken to the course. Their passport was returned to them at last.
“I was nominated for a Tank T 72 instructors’ course for five months in India, no one is talking of this for now. Thank God, I didn’t give them my passport. It wouldn’t have been returned.
“If they will not be taking us, I will take a leave with my family to Dubai to have fun, I will take my children to underwater aquarium to enjoy,” Mr Muhammad said in the chat.
He continued: “I have seen so many ordeals. Boko Haram was started while I was serving in Damaturu. I served in Niger Delta and now in Zamfara. Since then; I didn’t get some rest until September last year when I took a break in Bauchi.
“I survived five ambushes in Damaturu, on 8th August 2012, I blocked a suicide bomber at Tashar Kurma where I lost almost nine soldiers.
“So many battle scars in my body. I was given Chief of Army staff award for gallantry in combat, Purple Heart award for injury in combat and General Operations Medal but a single kobo was not given to me,” Mr Muhammad regretted.
