A freshman cadet of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna has been reported dead a day after he joined the school.
The deceased identified as James Didam Bulus was reported to have died as a result of alleged brutalisation from senior cadets following his registration and allocation of hostel space.
The 18-year-old James Didam Bulus who was buried on Thursday at the Military Cemetery, on Whaff Road, Kaduna was until his death registered with the NDA under the registration number NDA/ 11537.
News agency, Vanguard gatherd from a family source identified as Mr. Joshua that the deceased was beaten to death on his “introductory” night.
The family source said: “He arrived NDA on Saturday, 3rd September, 2016 and on Monday, 5th September; I was told that he was dead. It was my friend that drove his son to the gate of old NDA and they parted ways happily. But, I was told that he died on Sunday after he did not survive what I was told was ‘introduction’ beatings from his seniors.
“At the mortuary, you could see stitches on his head and he had bruises on other parts of the body. The NDA said that he died of stomach pain and that before he could be taken to the hospital, he died on the way.
“I asked ‘how can such a brilliant, young boy who was very eager, proud and happy to serve his country get killed just a day when he reported to start what we all thought will be a brilliant military career?
“How can a healthy, smart boy who was never a trouble maker have such wounds on his body, and someone is saying he had stomach problem? God knows the best. But it will be difficult for my friend (Joshua) to pull through this agony, especially his wife.”
Speaking on the death of the new recruit, the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of NDA, Captain Musa Yahaya, said: “It was when the new cadets were queuing to receive their kits that Cadet Didam slumped.
He continued: “He was immediately rushed to the clinic and was given the best of medical attention. When the doctors examined him, they found out that he had internal bleeding. He had earlier confided to one of his colleagues that he had an accident on his way to NDA. But that he was afraid to tell the authority so that they would not reject him. He was never brutalized. It was an accident that he had. That was what the autopsy confirmed. He died on Monday.”
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