The former Battalion Commanding Officer who led the fight against Boko Haram in Northeastern Nigeria, Major U.

According to the Daily Trust, the senior military officer killed himself less than 72 hours before the verdict of a court-martial trying him for alleged military infractions during the war against the terrorists.

He was said to have killed himself on Monday, on the premises of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna, with his service pistol.

“I think he killed himself because of the judgment of the court-martial which has been fixed for tomorrow (today, May 19),” the source said.

“In prosecuting the war, the major with some of his colleagues allegedly committed some infractions for which he was being tried at the 1st Division in Kaduna.”

The offences listed against the deceased officer by the court-martial in the 1st Division were misappropriation of funds, abandonment of military post, insubordination, and desertion, among others.

Another source attributed his death to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), noting that he had been in the North East for some time, battling Boko Haram terrorists.

The Major, a Course 55 Regular Officer, and other members of his class were said to be due for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel this September.

When contacted, the spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said that he had not been briefed.

However, the Public Relations Officer of the NDA, Major Bashir Jajira, dismissed the report, saying no officer of the academy was involved in the suicide.

No personnel from the academy were involved in the suicide as reported, and in fact, our cadets are presently in Kachia for combat shooting training; they are not in the academy. So, no such training took place, "he said.