TRAGEDY IN WAWA BARRACKS: Nigerian Soldier Shoots Wife Dead, Commits Suicide Inside Military Quarters

A chilling tragedy struck the Wawa Military Cantonment in New Bussa, Kainji, Niger State, on Saturday when a Nigerian Army personnel identified as Lance Corporal Femi Akinleye reportedly shot his wife dead before turning the gun on himself.

The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. inside Block 15, Room 24 of the soldiers’ residential quarters at the 22 Armoured Brigade, Wawa Cantonment — a military facility long known for housing hundreds of detained Boko Haram suspects since the heat of the insurgency in the North.

According to an internal military signal exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the late Akinleye, who was on barracks duty at the time, opened fire on his wife, Blessing, before fatally shooting himself.

The signal read in part:

> “At about 111130A Oct 25, 18NA/77/1173 LCPL Akinleye Femi, personnel of 221 Battalion, Wawa Cantonment, while on barracks duty, committed suicide after killing his wife, Blessing. The remains of both victims have been deposited at the 221 Battalion Medical Reception Station, while investigations are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the incident.”

The exact motive behind the murder-suicide remains unclear, but the recurring nature of such tragedies within the Nigerian military has once again spotlighted the issue of mental health, depression, and psychological trauma among soldiers, particularly those deployed in prolonged counter-insurgency operations.

Over the years, many soldiers have voiced frustration over poor welfare, lack of rotation from conflict zones, and alleged mistreatment by superior officers — factors they say contribute to mental breakdowns and extreme actions.

Military insiders told Daily Trust that despite the visible toll of the war against terrorism, psychological support and post-deployment counselling remain grossly inadequate.
Some soldiers battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have complained of being ignored, while others accuse the hierarchy of corruption and insensitivity to their plight.

“Some of us have been in the same operation zone for over five years without proper leave or therapy. The pressure is unbearable,” a soldier recently confided anonymously.

The case of Lance Corporal Akinleye adds to a disturbing string of suicides and internal killings within Nigeria’s armed forces in recent years.

In November 2023, a Nigerian Army Captain, Alphonsus Alexander Kalthy Bazza, reportedly took his own life in Akwa Ibom State after leaving behind handwritten notes expressing frustration with his superior over withheld allowances meant for the 2023 general elections.

Earlier in June 2023, a female officer of the Nigerian Air Force, identified as Master Warrant Officer George, was found dead in her residence at the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, Lagos, in an apparent suicide.

In March 2021, another soldier, Bello Useni, attached to the Nigerian Army School of Armour in Bauchi, ended his life, while in September 2020, a Lance Corporal in Yobe State shot himself at his duty post.

In July 2020, tragedy struck again when a soldier in Bama, Borno State, killed a Lieutenant who had denied him permission to visit his family.

Call for Urgent Reforms

Security analysts have repeatedly called for urgent reforms in troop welfare, counselling, and leadership conduct within the military, warning that neglecting the emotional and psychological health of personnel could worsen morale and discipline.

“The military cannot continue to ignore the human side of warfare,” said one defence analyst. “When soldiers start turning their guns on themselves and their loved ones, it’s a sign of deep institutional distress.”

As investigations continue into the tragic Wawa Barracks murder-suicide, questions remain about how many more of such incidents must occur before systemic mental health support becomes a priority in Nigeria’s armed forces.