Mohammed Idris, a member of the Nigerian Army, has been in detention for the past nine months without charge or trial, according to multiple sources who spoke to SaharaReporters.
Idris, a medical personnel attached to the 7 Division Military Hospital in Maiduguri, Borno State, was reportedly detained after exposing a fellow soldier, Corporal Agbo, for allegedly having links to the Boko Haram terrorist group.
According to the sources, Agbo, a military police corporal, was assigned to guard an arrested Boko Haram member at the hospital. On one occasion, he allegedly took Idris’ phone and handed it over to the terrorist to contact his family and other Boko Haram members.
The terrorists later called back, using Idris’ number, prompting Idris to report the incident to military authorities. Idris explained that Agbo had tricked him into handing over his phone, unaware that it would be used for illicit communication.
Both Agbo and Idris were arrested, and while Agbo allegedly confessed to receiving money from the terrorist’s relative and aiding in the communication, Idris maintained that he was unaware of any such connection. Despite the lack of substantial evidence against Idris, he has remained in detention without trial, while Agbo was released and re-integrated into military service.
Sources also revealed that Idris had been subjected to physical abuse by a senior officer, who allegedly tried to coerce him into changing his statement. Despite these efforts, Idris stood firm and refused to alter his account of the events. As a result, he was transferred to another detention facility in Maiduguri.
The case has raised concerns about arbitrary detention within the Nigerian military. Similar incidents of unlawful detentions have been reported, including cases involving Lance Corporal Martins Idakpini and Sergeant Zachariah Ismaila, as reported by SaharaReporters.
The military has yet to respond to requests for comment from the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 7 Division, Brigadier General AGL Haruna.
The continuing detention of Idris, who was involved in exposing a fellow soldier’s ties to terrorists, has highlighted growing issues of transparency and fairness in the handling of military personnel within Nigeria.
